Demon Duelist Legacy World Tour Arc
by Wolf General
Summary: The final arc of the Demon Duelist Legacy storyline. A mysterious enemy declares war on the entire human race.
1. A Canine Double Team Challenge 1

Disclaimer: If I owned Yugioh, would I be posting fanfiction for it up on this website??

If you are new to the Demon Duelist Legacy Series and would like complete character descriptions, then please inquire at the bottom of the story. I'll be including descriptions of each of the key characters that have been introduced so far in story as we move along.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 1: A Canine Double-Team Challenge

_I am the mighty Rikuo Amero, ancient demon general of the feudal era of Japanese history. In my past, I have killed thousands of demons and men alike on the end of my weapon. No one was my peer in warfare, and I overcame any challenge ever thrown at me. I was a metaphorical god..._

_And yet I have met my peer in battle..._

_It is holding against my best efforts, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot defeat it and gain the treasure I seek._

_Damn you snack food dispenser...damn you..._

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Rikuo kicked the machine again and again. "DAMN YOU! GIVE ME MY BEEF JERKY NOW!!!!" ("Daniel! Stop laughing in there and tell me how to make this thing give me my precious jerky!!!")

At the moment, Daniel Pilkington was too busy collapsing on the floor of his soul room to even attempt to help his other half. _("What's the matter Rikuo? Can't handle the pressure?")_

("I will give you nightmares for a week if you do not help me get my beloved beef jerky right this instant!")

Daniel sighed and took over their body long enough to deposit a couple of quarters into the machine and hit the right button combination to make the machine spit out the bag of beef jerky that Rikuo was craving so much.

The ancient wolf demon took control of their body again and snatched the bag away from the evil beast's mouth. He ran to the end of the lunchroom and over to the doors that led outside, and then turned to look at the snack machine. "You have been a worthy adversary! Perhaps next time you will be able to defeat me!" Then he ran off.

And yet the strangest part of it all was that the rest of the students in the lunch room paid this entire scene no mind at all. They weren't strangers to the erratic behavior of Rikuo Amero.

Ever since Daniel Pilkington had come back from a Duel Monsters world tournament as a wolf demon, no one doubted him when he said that if he was running around campus with golden-amber eyes and raven-black hair, then it was actually the spirit of an ancient wolf demon general.

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Daniel sighed as Rikuo munched down on the beef jerky happily from his perch on top of the cafeteria. _("You know thanks to you people think I am out of my mind.")_

Rikuo took another bite of his teriyaki-flavored treat. ("At the moment you are. Therefore, everyone would be thinking right.")

_("That's not what I meant and you know it.")_

Rikuo tapped his chin with a claw and nodded. ("You're right, I do know it.") He shrugged and went back to his feast.

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Meanwhile, Allon Sadyaa was having a dilemma of his own at the moment...

"And I win again Allon." CJ grinned and snatched another card from out of the ante pile that he and his friend had set up across from each other. "Wanna try again?"

Allon sighed and rubbed his chin with a hand. "You have to be cheating. Or using some evil demon mind trick."

CJ held up the five cards he had already won from his friend. "That's a likely excuse. Are you sure it isn't just because I am better than you are?"

"That can't be it. After all, you can't beat Daniel or Deondre normally." Allon continued to check both of CJ's sleeves to see if he was hiding cards in them.

The horse demon snapped his arm away from its inspection and frowned. "Do you really think that I would cheat like that?"

"Sure you would CJ. It's your nature after all." Deondre said from a good twenty feet away. He approached his two friends and tugged on his white sweater a little.

Allon nodded along with what his friend said. "Yeah! I know that you're cheating somehow!"

Deondre joined them at their table. "It could also be that your deck sucks, Allon. I mean, you're good and all, but still...you're no Duel Monsters world champion."

Allon dead-panned. "You two are just the humblest guys on the earth aren't you?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

They both nodded at the same time. "Of course we are."

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Daniel dropped down to right outside of the school and tossed the empty bag of beef jerky into a nearby trash can. ("Alright Rikuo, now you promised no more mischief for today if I got you that jerky. I'm expecting you to hold to your promise.")

_("Can I still prove the history teacher wrong about most of his facts involving the feudal era of Japan?")_

Daniel smiled at the thought of that. ("Eh...yeah, knock yourself out.") He had to admit that he liked that. Nothing was funnier than to watch Mr. Schopen turn red in the face when Rikuo completely shot him down in anything that involved ancient Japanese culture and living. ("But anyway, time to go see what the guys are up to. I've entertained your stomach enough.")

_("Technically you were feeding yourself too, so you have no right to complain.")_

Daniel turned around a couple corners and approached the area of the school dubbed the 'dueling zone'. It was in this place that players of the popular Duel Monsters card game would gather to play in their downtime at school. ("My hunting ground...") The red-haired half-demon smirked and walked over to his favorite table. ("The table where the rest of Team Topdeck and Company gather to argue over pointless stuff.")

Surprisingly enough, no one was fighting. At least not physically.

"I win again Allon."

"I SWEAR YOU'RE CHEATING!!!"

As Daniel approached, he smirked at the sight of one of the black-furred dog ears on top of Deondre's head swiveling in his general direction. "Getting better at that, I see?"

Deondre put his head in one palm as he watched Allon and CJ shuffle their decks up again. Without even looking at Daniel, he followed his friend's approach using his hearing. "I'm starting to find a few benefits to being a dog demon. Though I still say you're lucky that when people think of you, they think of something to be feared. When they think of me, they think of a pet."

Daniel slid into a seat at the table and chuckled. "Point taken. Technically, you can consider that a benefit though. I've seen how some of the girls in our classes look at those ears on top of your head." He threw a little wink.

Deondre rolled his eyes and continued to watch as CJ beat Allon again. "You think it is a benefit being a 'cute' demon? Do you understand how many jokes people make about me behind my back?"

Daniel tilted his head to the side curiously. "How do you know that they are talking about you behind your back?"

Deondre reached up and for emphasis tugged on one of the red-furred wolf ears on Daniel's head.

"Oh yeah. Well you could always do what Rikuo did and just threaten to flay them skin layer by skin layer."

Deondre shook his head. "I'd prefer being cute than being thought of as a sociopath."

Daniel blushed a little at the fact that Deondre had hit pretty close to right. ("People do kind of fear me now, huh?")

_("You're better off having them fear you then having them think that they can walk all over you.")_ Rikuo told him in his mind.

("I guess so, but did you need to threaten that one guy who pulled our tail to see if it was real? I mean, I didn't even know you could do that with a pair of salad tongs.")

_("Believe me, when it comes to torture, I learned from one of the best. And the things that Sestros used were much worse that salad tongs would have been in that situation.")_

Daniel turned a slight shade of green.

Deondre snickered over at his friend. "Is Rikuo talking about something scary again?"

Daniel shuddered at a couple of images in his mind, and then shoved them aside. "Err....you could say that."

"I win again!"

"I SWEAR THAT YOU ARE CHEATING!!! DANIEL, TELL HIM TO STOP!!!"

"CJ, stop cheating."

"I'M NOT CHEATING!!"

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"So those three are demon lords? They don't look very powerful." A large rugged man in a black business suit placed a pair of binoculars off to his side and then picked up his cheeseburger to take another bite out of it.

His partner, a shorter man wearing a pair of black ray-ban sunglasses took the binoculars and continued to watch the two furry-eared youths, who were in turn watching the two bigger boys dueling. "Don't underestimate them. They're supposedly some of the best duelists in the world. The red-headed one took on Yugi Moto himself and dueled the king of games to a draw. And the black-haired one actually defeated Seto Kaiba."

The bigger man raised an eyebrow at that. "A draw and a win?" He pulled the instruction letter out of his coat pocket and flipped it open. "Which two were we supposed to challenge now?"

"The two guys with the ears." The smaller man slid the pair of binoculars into his coat and tossed the wrapper that had contained his food into a nearby trash can. He reached off to his side and picked up a duel disk, which he slid onto his arm. "Let's go."

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Daniel, Deondre and CJ all heard and felt the approach of the two black-suited men long before they were within any kind of talking range.

Daniel spun around in his chair and tensed slightly. ("Black-suited individuals never really agreed with me.")

In his mind, Rikuo growled quietly. _("Want me to take over?")_

("Nope, I'll be fine.") The red-haired boy slid out of his seat and stepped forward to intercept the men. "Something you two want?"

The smaller man nodded and pointed over to the open grassy field that was next to the cluster of tables. "A duel."

Daniel grabbed his backpack and opened it. Inside was the white and blue steel frame of his duel disk. Sliding the device onto his arm, he smiled slightly at the two. "Me against both of you? I'm game."

The bigger man shook his head and pointed at Deondre. "Not just you. We're challenging him too."

Deondre slid out of his seat and unzipped his bag. He removed his duel disk and slid it onto his arm. "It's been a while since I've had a good duel. This should be a nice way to blow off some steam."

CJ threw in. "You guys go and take them down. I'll watch your bags and take more of Allon's cards."

Allon narrowed his eyes at the dark-skinned horse demon. "I will defeat you, cheater."

"I'm not a cheater!!"

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Daniel and Deondre took their positions next to each other, while the two dark-suited men took their positions across the field from the two boys.

The smaller-suited man smirked and tapped a button on his disk. It beeped and then re-adjusted, clicking into duel mode. "Ready? We'll be playing by Battle City life point totals and rules. I'm Ladgie."

The bigger man tapped his duel disk into place next. "And I'm Alks."

Deondre and Daniel clicked their duel disks into place. "Let's duel!"

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: A Canine Double-Team Challenge-Part 2

Daniel Pilkington

Age: 16

Height: 5'10"

Build: A little on the lean side

Hair: A light red, goes to about the small of his back, and is very messy.

Eye: Dark Brown. Slotted.

Defining features: A red-furred wolf's tail that he keeps wrapped around his waist like a belt, a pair of red-furred wolf ears on top of his head, and 'short' (considering he's a half-wolf demon) claws. Normally wears a white t-shirt, with a black leather jacket that has the image of a howling wolf embroidered on the back in silver, and a pair of blue jeans.

Background: Daniel originally used to be a normal human being, until he won a ticket to a tournament on an island owned by the military company Shadow Corp. Upon arrival, he found himself placed in numerous life-or-death duels. During one such duel, the spirit of the wolf demon Rikuo Amero was awakened within him. Ever since then, he has been trying to cope with having a demon inside him. (For more info, you're best to go and read Demon Duelist Legacy. What I'm giving you is a very bare-bones version of Daniel's background.)

Dueling Strategy: Machine deck

Rikuo Amero

Age: About 5, 016

Height: 5'10"

Build: A little more muscular that Daniel.

Hair: Raven black hair that goes down to his lower back and is just as messy as Daniel's.

Eye: Golden-amber. Slotted.

Defining features: A black-furred wolf's tail and ears. He also looks much more wild and intense than Daniel could ever hope to project himself to be.

Background: Rikuo was actually born 5000 years ago in the feudal era of Japan. He was originally supposed to be the king of a large tribe of wolf demons, but then because of rather disturbing circumstances, his father was killed and he was stolen away by a demon named Kilomet Sestros. After that Rikuo's life became that of a general of war, until a certain situation arose where his honor was damaged horribly because of Sestro's actions. In a rage, Rikuo attacked Sestros and while he managed to kill him, he also died at that time.

He was reborn within Daniel's body, and now is the boy's protector and teacher, though he rarely ever does such.

Dueling Strategy: Fiend Deck

Deondre Anderson

Age: 16

Height: 5'11"

Build: Slightly muscular

Hair: About shoulder length and dark black. Very well kept.

Eye: Golden and slotted.

Defining Features: A pair of black-furred dog ears that are on top of his head, and claws similar to Daniel's.

Background: Considered to be second only to Daniel in Team Topdeck. He has been backing Daniel up through thick and thin. During the Dark Souls tournament, he discovered that he had the blood of a dog demon in him. Ever since then he has been trying to cope with being a demon. Progress has not been good so far...

Dueling Strategy: D.D. Strategy

More descriptions will come in the next chapter....later.

Author's Notes: I did this to give you guys a definite description of what the guys look like, since honestly, whenever I try to do a description on a character mid-story, it always breaks up my flow of writing. I found this chapter much easier to type than a normal chapter.


	2. A Canine Double Team Challenge 2

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 2: A Canine Double-Team Challenge-Part 2

_Deondre and Daniel clicked their duel disks into place. "Let's duel!"_

Alks drew his five cards and then his sixth. "Now it's time to see if your successes during the Shadow Corporation tournament were a fluke or not."

Daniel smirked. "Oh? Is that the only reason you are challenging us?"

"Perhaps it is." Alks slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set these two cards face-down on the field." The two brown-backed cards appeared on his field. "And then I set this monster in face-down defense mode." He placed a card in a horizontal position on his duel disk and it appeared in front of his two magic/trap cards on the field. "End turn."

Daniel drew his five and then his sixth. ("Now let's see what we have to work with.") His eye flicked over the six cards, and he knew exactly what he needed to do. "I set one monster in defense mode and set two cards face-down on my field. End turn." The three cards appeared on his field, copying Alks' field exactly.

Ladgie drew and slid two cards into his duel disk. "I play the magic cards Poison of the Old Man and Dian Keto the Cure Master. These allow me to restore 1000 and 1200 life points to one target on the field. And I choose Alks." A glowing mixture of green and gold light fell over the bigger man as his life point counter increased.

Alks- 6200

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 4000

Deondre- 4000

Deondre looked down at the life point counter on his duel disk and frowned. ("Why heal Alks? He hasn't taken any damage yet.")

Ladgie slid two cards into his duel disk and one monster card horizontal on his disk. "Then I set two cards face-down on my field and one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Deondre drew and he smiled. "I could just play defensively, but let's try this instead." He slid the card he had drawn into his duel disk. "I'll play the continuous magic card Soul Absorption. Now whenever a card is removed from play I will gain 500 life points."

Grabbing a card from his hand, he slapped it down onto his disk. "And then I'll summon D.D. Warrior Lady (1500/1600) to the field in attack mode!" A blond-haired woman wearing a grey bodysuit appeared on his field. She drew her laser dagger and then nodded to her familiar master. Deondre smiled at her and nodded back. "Now attack Ladgie's face-down monster card. Dimensional Dagger Strike!" The woman launched across the field and slammed her dagger down onto the dark-suited little man's face-down monster card. The card shuddered for a few moments and then it exploded into little digital bits.

Ladgie shrugged casually and slid the card into the graveyard slot on his duel disk. "That wasn't really all that bad."

Deondre slid two more cards into his duel disk. "It's going to get worse before I am done. I set these two cards face-down and end my turn."

Alks drew and slid his face-down monster into the graveyard. "And now I summon my perfect defender." A steel trap door appeared on his field. "I summon Satellite Cannon (0/0) in attack mode. In three turns it will launch, and then you'll be out of luck. End turn."

"With stats like that, it won't last one turn." Daniel drew and placed his next monster on his disk. "I summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode!" A blue and yellow robot with cannon barrels on its shoulders appeared on his field. "Now attack Alks' Satellite Cannon!" The machine aimed its cannons at the metal trap door and fired a beam of laser energy that slammed against the metal.

Nothing happened though. Alks smirked and pointed at the trap door. "Satellite Cannon cannot take any damage from monsters that are level seven or lower, and therefore it's almost invincible."

Daniel fanned out his hand and sighed. ("Nothing else I can do at the moment, is there?") "End turn."

Ladgie drew and slid a card into his duel disk. "Now I play the magic card Soul of the Pure, raising Alks' life points by 800." A blue light engulfed his partner as the life point counter shot up again.

Alks- 7000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 4000

Deondre- 4000

Ladgie then took his last card and slid it into his duel disk. "And now I set this card face-down on my field and end my turn."

Deondre drew and growled, one of his ears flicking a little in irritation. ("Nothing much I can do about his face-down cards.") "I attack with my D.D. Warrior Lady!" The woman shot forward, only to swerve in mid-charge and slam her blade down onto the steel trap door that held Alks' Satellite Cannon. Deondre stared at his monster in confusion. "What are you doing, I said attack Ladgie!"

"She can't, at least not this turn." Ladgie held up his face-down card. "I used my Shift trap card to redirect her attack to Alks' monster."

Deondre nodded to Alks. "Fine, take your turn."

The bigger dark-suited man drew and flipped up his face-down cards. "I'm tired of waiting for the Satellite Cannon to get ready, so I reveal my two face-down trap cards." Up above his field, a pair of ancient looking stone clocks appeared and both hands on them spun forward. "My Pyro Clock of Destiny trap cards will increase the turn count by one apiece, meaning that now that three turn wait for my Satellite cannon is up." The metal hatch flipped open and a missile-sized rocket shot out of it. The rocket left a jet stream behind it as it disappeared into the sky.

Daniel, Deondre, and most of the student body watching duel stared at the disappearing form of the rocket. Then Daniel broke the silence with, "Ooookay....where's it going?"

Alks slid two cards into his duel disk and slapped down a monster. "Now I set two cards face-down on my field and summon my personal favorite." A winged red-haired girl dressed in a skimpy nurse's outfit and wielding a huge medical syringe appeared on his field. "I summon Injection Fairy Lily (400/1500) in attack mode!" The fairy winked at Daniel. "And now I'll attack your X-Head Cannon!"

Lily grabbed her syringe and flew across the field, stabbing the giant medical tool into the body of Daniel's monster.

Daniel rolled his eyes and pointed at the needle sticking in his machine. "X-Head, blow that thing away."

Alks tapped his duel disk. "It's not quite that easy. You think that I would attack with a monster as weak as Lily unless she had a special ability. By sacrificing 2000 life points, I may raise her attack strength by 3000 points!" (3400/1500)

Alks- 5000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 2400

Deondre- 4000

Alks' Injection Fairy's syringe injected the green substance inside it into Daniel's monster. The X-Head Cannon made a curious beeping noise and started to shudder. Lily pulled her syringe out of the monster and then flew back over to Alks' field. The X-Head Cannon promptly exploded, spraying Daniel with heat and smoke.

Daniel coughed a few times and swept the smoke away with his hand. "That's a pretty hefty cost, even for a 3400 attacker."

Alks shrugged. "Trust me kid, I can pay it."

Daniel drew. "I'm sure you can, but let's see how Injection Fairy Lily does against this! I sacrifice my face-down monster to summon Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000) in attack mode!" The face-down card faded away and was replaced by a humanoid creature with golden-amber eyes and wearing samurai armor. "You're not going to find this monster so easy to beat. Now attack Ladgie's life points directly!" The wolf demon drew his katana, which was alive with pulsing blue-white fire. It slammed the weapon into the ground and created a wave of blue-white energy that tore across the field towards the smaller man. "Howling Sword!"

Ladgie flipped up another of his face-down cards. "That won't work against me! Reveal another Shift card. This time I will redirect your monster's attack to my partner's Lily."

Alks tapped a button on his duel disk. "And I'll pay another 2000 life points to raise Lily's attack power by 3000 for one turn." (3400/1500)

Alks- 3000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 2400

Deondre- 4000

Deondre gritted his teeth as her watched the wave of energy get absorbed by Lily's syringe and then shot back at Daniel's monster. ("Crap...") The released wave slammed into the Wolf Demon Lord and blew the warrior into little digital pieces.

Alks chortled happily. "That's another hunk of your life points down the drain."

Daniel lifted up his duel disk and tapped the life point counter. "Look again Alks."

The bigger man looked down at his disk and his eyes widened in surprise. "Your life points haven't changed at all? Why?"

Daniel held up the Wolf Demon Lord card. "Because when Wolf Demon Lord is destroyed in battle, I do not take damage from its demise." He slid the card into his graveyard and then slid a card into his duel disk. "Now before I end my turn, I'll set this face-down."

Ladgie drew off the top of his deck and slid the card into his duel disk. "Now I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Deondre drew and glanced hopefully at his Soul Absorption continuous magic card. ("So far I haven't gotten a chance to use you. That should change in a second though.") "D.D. Warrior Lady, attack Alks' Injection Fairy Lily now!" The woman drew her dagger and launched across the field towards the white-clothed angel.

Alks chuckled and glanced over at his partner. "Do it."

Ladgie nodded and tapped a button on his duel disk. "I reveal my face-down trap, Attack Redirect. This forces your monster to attack a target on my choice on the field. And you're going to be attacking your own partner!" The D.D. Warrior Lady skidded to a stop and reversed direction, headed towards Daniel now.

Daniel tapped a button on his duel disk and his face-down card flipped up. "I reveal my face-down card, Reverse of Reverse! This allows me to use one card on another player's field as my own, so I'll be using Ladgie's other face-down card now!" The card flipped up and a steel-grey suit of demonic armor appeared on Daniel's field. "Just like I thought, Attack Redirection Armor! Now I'll use it change the Warrior Lady's target back to Alks' Lily!"

The armor flew over to Alks' field and clamped into place around his Injection Fairy. Deondre's D.D. Warrior Lady skidded to a stop for a second time and charged towards Lily now.

Alks flipped up his own face-down card. "Reveal Negate Attack! This will stop your attack and end Deondre's battle phase!" A swirling vortex stopped the Warrior Lady as well as a brick wall would have. The blond-haired dimensional warrior turned and walked calmly back to Deondre's field.

And through all of that, Deondre just frowned and snapped his fingers. ("I just want a chance to test out my Soul Absorption card! Is that too much to ask!?") "End turn."

Alks tapped a button on his duel disk. "And now I activate my face-down down, Life-Absorbing Machine! As long as this continuous trap card remains on the field, I will gain half of the life points that I spend each turn." He drew and a golden light flowed over him as it recharged his life points.

Alks- 5000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 2400

Deondre- 4000

The big man looked at the card he had drawn and smirked, sliding it into his disk. "I set this face-down and then I will attack Daniel's life points with my Lily! Go Lily!" The angel hefted her syringe and shot across the field to run Daniel through.

And through it all the half wolf-demon was smiling. Tapping a button on his duel disk, one of his face-down cards flipped. "Just like you did before, Negate Attack will preserve my life points for this turn." Another swirling vortex sprung up on the field and Lily's syringe slammed into it harmlessly.

Alks shrugged. "End turn."

Daniel cracked his knuckles and then looked at his deck. ("Now, let's get that damn super monster off the field.") "Draw!" He snapped the card off of his deck, and then slapped it onto his disk. "Get ready to lose your Lily and some life points too! I summon Magical Scientist (300/300) in attack mode!" A skinny, balding man in a white lab coat appeared on the field. "Now I'll trigger his special ability! Go Fusion Synthesis!"

The Magical Scientist pulled a little laptop computer out of his pocket and flipped it open. Tapping a few buttons, a pair of glass tanks large enough to hold a human being appeared on the field.

Alks rubbed at his chin. He'd never heard of this card. "So what's he doing?"

Daniel tapped his life point counter twice. "He's using my life points to fuel his research. And look..." The two tanks made a dinging noise and became filled with bubbles. When the bubbles cleared, the tanks had a pair of shadowed forms in it. "...his research has just yielded a couple of monsters."

"How can you just create monsters out of nowhere?"

"I can't." Daniel opened a slot on his duel disk and pulled out a small stack of cards. He rifled through them while he talked. "By paying 1000 life points, I may special summon one monster from my fusion deck that is a level six or lower creature. So I'll pay 2000 life points to summon a pair of monsters that are the answer to your Lily and her special ability." The glass tanks exploded when Daniel tossed down a pair of monster cards onto his disk.

Alks- 5000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

A pair of black-clad armored figures was now on Daniel field. The two creatures lifted their red and black shields up, and then drew their flaming swords. "These are my Lily-killers! Dark Flare Knight (2200/800) in attack mode!"

Daniel slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "And to finish my main phase, I play the equipment magic card Black Pendant on my Magical Scientist, which raises his attack points by 500." An ornate black pendant appeared on the neck of his monster and it was surrounded by a glowing aura as its attack points rose. (800/300)

Alks got ready to press the button on his duel disk that would charge up Lily's attack points. "I'm ready for you to finish yourself off."

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From off to the side-lines, CJ rubbed his chin as he watched the duel out on the field. ("What are you doing Daniel? Now if you attack, you'll wipe yourself out.")

"What's Daniel doing?" A golden-haired young man sat down next to CJ at the table, watching the duel intently. "Why is he so intent on wiping out that Injection Fairy Lily?"

CJ snapped his head over to look at the guy. "Oh, hey Ryu. What are you talking about? Those monsters can't hurt Alks' monster, it has this..."

Ryu shook his head. "Just watch and you'll see what I mean."

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"Dark Flare Knight number one, attack Injection Fairy Lily with Dark Blade Slash!" The knight flew across the field and slammed right into Lily's needle, which blew him apart instantly.

Alks- 3000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

Alks smirked when he looked down at the life point counter. Then he realized that Daniel's life points didn't drop at all. "What's wrong with this thing? You should be dead now."

Daniel pointed at Alks' Lily again. "Dark Flare number two, attack!" The knight launched across the field, sword raised to strike.

Alks' tapped the charge button on his duel disk. Lily slammed her syringe right into the knight and blew it apart.

Alks- 1000

Ladgie- 4000

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Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

Alks smacked his duel disk a couple of times, and then glared at Daniel. "Why won't you die!?"

"The special ability of Dark Flare Knight is just like the ability of the Wolf Demon Lord!" Someone called from off to the side.

Daniel smiled at the sound of Ryu's voice. "That's right. And guess what...Magical Scientist, attack Injection Fairy Lily!" The monster reached into a pocket of its lab coat and pulled out a little capsule. It threw the little object at Lily and smacked her right in the head with it. The red-headed angel stumbled around and then collapsed, exploding into digital dust.

Alks- 600

Ladgie- 4000

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

Daniel slid a card into his duel disk. "Then I set this and end my turn."

Ladgie drew and slapped down a monster. "I set this monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Deondre drew and pointed at Alks. "Now it's time to finish you off before you gain anymore life points! D.D. Warrior Lady, attack his life points directly!" The woman raised her weapon and launched across the field, intent on tearing through the dark-suited man.

Ladgie tapped a button on his duel disk. "I throw out my face-down monster to defend my partner!" The card flipped up to reveal a blue-skinned and red-haired fairy that released a glowing blue aura. The Warrior Lady slid to a halt, looked up at the sky, and then walked back to Deondre's field. "This is Dreamsprite. (300/200) When she is attacked, I may redirect your monster to any other monster that my partner or I control. So I chose for your monster to try and attack our Satellite Cannon. I guess she isn't so hot on the idea."

Deondre frowned and looked over at Daniel. "That means that their monster is somewhere up above us. And to get to it, we're going to need a level eight or higher monster that can fly or has one really good ranged attack. Until then..." He placed a card on top of his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Alks drew and the Life-Absorbing Machine trap on his field activated, raising his life points by the half of the total amount he had paid last turn.

Alks- 2600

Ladgie- 4000

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

The man looked at the card he had drawn and then he slid it into his duel disk. "I set this face-down. And now, it's time to wipe you out." His hand pointed up into the air. "Satellite Cannon, attack the Magical Scientist now!!"

Daniel blinked upwards, and after a few seconds, he saw a small dot that was approaching his monster's position rapidly. As it got closer and closer, he understood that it was some kind of energy beam. "Oh crud..."

Alks snickered. "Exactly. Satellite Cannon gains 1000 attack points per turn, so you're Scientist is about to be hit by a 4000 point blast. That's the end of you."

The beam slammed down on top of Daniel's monster, and then the entire field went up a flash of light.

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: A Canine Double-Team Challenge-Part 3

Author's Notes: Just to let you guys know, I will still have a new chapter of this story up by the evening

To gohan11- OO; Umm....when did Daniel have a girlfriend? This is the same guy who, when in close proximity to a cute girl, tends to attempt to pass out. (exceptions allowed if lives are on the line, etc.)


	3. A Canine Double Team Challenge 3

Alright, here's the deal. At the moment, I am separating the different sections of DDL into different stories, in the hope that this fixes the whole chapter erasure problem that seems to occur so often.

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 3: A Canine Double-Team Challenge-Part 3

_The beam slammed down on top of Daniel's monster, and then the entire field went up a flash of light._

As the light died down, there was only a black smear on the ground where Daniel's monster once was.

Alks smirked. "And that means that your life points are done."

"Not quite," Deondre said from off the side. On his field sat a strange-looking machine. "My Interdimensional Matter Transporter trap card teleported my partner's monster into the removed from play pile for this turn, meaning that your attack hit nothing but the ground."

Alks gritted his teeth at the fact that he had been foiled. "That's only a temporary defense. Once out Satellite Cannon is done with you, this duel will be over! End turn."

Daniel drew and watched as his Magical Scientist reappeared on the field. "Thanks for the quick save Deondre."

Deondre nodded and looked over at their opponents' fields. "Don't get too comfy. They have a monster that we know next to nothing about, except that we need a level eight or higher monster with wings to hit it."

Daniel glanced at the card he had drawn and frowned. "I switch Magical Scientist to defense mode and end my turn." The spellcaster fell to one knee and cowered.

Ladgie drew and slid his Dreamsprite into the graveyard. "And now I'll summon a creature with the necessary power to clear the way for the Satellite Cannon. I sacrifice Dreamsprite and summon Patrician of Darkness (2000/1700) to the field!" His field was swallowed up in darkness momentarily. When the darkness disappeared, an elegant looking vampire appeared on his field. "As long as this monster is on the field, we'll have an attacker and a monster capable of keeping us safe from almost all attacks. Patrician, crush Daniel's Magical Scientist!" The vampire launched across the field and snapped its cape in an arc, slashing the white-coated creature apart.

Daniel pulled his Black Pendant card out of his disk and slid it and the Magical Scientist cards into the graveyard. "There's one thing you didn't count on. When Black Pendant is sent to the graveyard, you lose 500 life points."

Alks- 2600

Ladgie- 3500

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

Ladgie shrugged and looked over at Deondre. "I suggest you get a good draw, or else its all over for your friend."

Deondre looked down at his deck and then up at the sky. ("That Satellite Cannon must have some kind of special ability. What does it do though? He said that it gains attack points per turn, but does it lose any points when it attacks?")

"Draw!" He snapped the card off of his deck and then glanced at it. ("That's better than nothing at all.") "I sacrifice my D.D. Warrior Lady to summon something a little more appropriate for this situation!" He slapped the drawn card onto his disk. "I summon Dimensional Knight (2200/1500) in attack mode!" A futuristic looking knight appeared on his field. "Attack the Patrician of Darkness!" The knight charged at the vampire, only to slide to a stop and look up at the sky. Then it walked back to Deondre's field. "Oh not this again...."

Ladgie snickered. "That's right, my Patrician of Darkness allows me to control which target you will attack, and since your knight has no way to reach our Satellite Cannon, it can't attack us."

Deondre growled and flicked his gaze over to Daniel. ("Alright man, I hope you have something good face-down, because I can't protect your life points this turn.") "End turn."

Alks tapped a button on his duel disk. "I reveal my face-down card, Solemn Wishes. As long as this continuous trap card is in play, I'll gain 500 life points every time that I draw a card." He drew and a golden light fell over him, healing his life points.

Alks- 3100

Ladgie- 3500

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

The large dark-suited man slid the card into his duel disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. ("Alright, now I know how his little Satellite works. It needs time to regain its attack points, so that means that we have a little time to turn things around.") He looked down at his deck and smiled. "Alright, give me the pull of a lifetime?" Snapping his hand across his deck, he pulled the top card off of it and held it in front of his face. ("This will help, but it won't win the duel for me.") "End turn."

Ladgie drew and slid the card into his duel disk. "I set this and end my turn."

Deondre drew and frowned. ("As long as they keep us in this position, then we can't attack.") "End turn."

Alks drew and was suffused in more golden light. "I set this card face-down and end my turn." The card appeared on the field next to his other face-down card.

Alks- 3600

Ladgie- 3500

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

The whole time, Daniel was ticking down the turns in his head. ("Okay, come on...") He drew and slid the two cards he was holding into his duel disk. "End turn."

Ladgie drew and slid the card into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Deondre drew and bit his lower lip, wincing as his fangs dug in a little too deep into his skin. ("This....sucks...") "End turn."

Alks drew and was surrounded by the golden light of the Solemn Wishes effect.

Alks- 4100

Ladgie- 3500

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

"It's over kid. You put up a good fight, but there's nothing you can do against our Satellite Cannon. Speaking of which, Satellite Cannon will now attack your life points directly!" His hand pointed upwards. "Fire!"

Daniel looked up calmly at the approaching pillar of energy that was headed for his head. "And now the experiment begins. Reveal face-down card, Mirror Force!" A glowing barrier of blue light appeared right over his head and absorbed the force of the attack, unleashing a spray across both Alks and Ladgie's fields. Ladgie's Patrician of Darkness howled in pain and then exploded into nothingness as the spray of energy fell over it. "Mirror Force reflects your attack at your field and destroys all of your monsters in attack mode." ("And I assume that your pain in the rear Satellite Cannon survived the reflection. Stupid Kaiba Corp. Solid Vision System.")

Alks frowned and placed the monster onto his duel disk. "I set this monster and end my turn."

Daniel smiled sadly. ("Here we go...let's see if luck is on our side.") He drew and placed his monster face-down on the field. "End turn."

Ladgie drew and slid another card into his duel disk. "I set this face-down on my field and end my turn."

Deondre was about to draw, but a cough from Daniel caught his attention. "What's up?"

Daniel smiled to his friend. "I just wanted to let you know that this'll go a lot easier if you accept circumstances."

"Come again?"

Shrugging, the half wolf-demon slid his hands into his jean pockets casually. "Did I ever tell you how I managed to beat Yamidra?"

Deondre nodded. "Yeah, something about some kind of phoenix monster."

Daniel grinned. "I didn't think that you were paying attention when I had been talking about it." He turned to look over at Ryu, CJ and Allon. "Let's just put it that I started to accept some truths about myself. Believe me; it saves you a lot of time and trouble." He pulled his hands back out of his pockets and looked at his remaining two face-down cards. "Show them why they can't win with their cheap tricks."

Deondre looked down at his deck and frowned. ("Start...accepting? Accepting what? That we're stuck in a position with no monsters that have the power to destroy that Satellite Cannon? How does that help us?") He looked back over at Daniel, who was whistling and looking up at the spot where the Satellite Cannon was supposedly. ("Thanks for the obscure advice, jerk.")

"What's the hold-up?" Ladgie asked. "Are you going to draw or fold?"

("What am I supposed to accept!?") A sudden gust of wind blew by, and his ears flicked a little in response to it. ("Stupid ears.....oh....") He looked over at Daniel incredulously.

Daniel continued to look up at the sky innocently.

Deondre couldn't believe that Daniel would bring this dilemma up now. ("Just when I was starting to get used to ignoring the fact that I'm suddenly a demon, and then my best friend just brings me right back to it! And in the middle of a big duel, no less!!!") He growled lowly, his golden eyes attempting to burn holes in Daniel's back.

"Don't blame me for fate's choice, D. I didn't choose that this would be what you are. Now...are you going to accept that fact, or are we going to lose?"

Deondre felt little strangled noises of anger escaping his throat. Finally he snapped, "What are you talking about!? What does me accepting anything have to do with us winning!?" He was on the verge of running over and trying to strangle his friend to get answers out of him.

Daniel brought himself around and met Deondre eye to eye, the two staring at each other. "Consider just how powerful Rikuo is. Then consider why he is so powerful. Perhaps that will give you some inkling of what I am talking about."

"Okay, I've had enough of sitting here and watching you two babble on about nothing. Is this an official surrender or what?" Alks stepped forward, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Be with you in a second," Daniel turned and walked over to Deondre. "D, just trust me. If you accept what you are, good things will come." With that simple sentence, he turned and walked back to his side of the field. "Alright, are we surrendering or not, Deondre?"

Deondre looked down at the ground and clenched his fists. ("Why are putting me in this situation? How can you do this to me?")

_("Believe it or not, he's attempting to help you out.")_

("......Rikuo.......how'd you get in my head?")

_("I have my ways. That's not important though. Have you ever howled to the moon before?")_

Deondre tilted slightly to the side, barely stopping himself from face-falling. ("Excuse me!? What kind of random question is that!?")

_("Have you? You're a canine demon, and I know that every night I see the moon I feel invigorated.")_

("Where are you going with this line of though!? You're not making any sense at all!!!")

_("Is that so? Then why are you dodging my question?")_

("I'm dodging your question because it makes no sense at all!")

_("You're like the modern version of him. Almost exactly like him.")_

Deondre knew that Alks and Ladgie were screaming at him to get on with the duel, but he wasn't listening to them at the moment. ("Him?")

_("The dog demon lord of my time. Believe it or not, he was a lot like you are. If there was anyone that I could confide in, it would be him. Crioteus was both my rival and my best friend.")_

("You knew the dog demon lord of your time? He was your friend? I thought you hated dog demons?")

_("I did, and then he taught me how to accept them. He was the only one to ever defeat me in a one on one fight. Kind of like how you beat Daniel that one time at the PQ tournament.")_ The wolf demon's voice was being rather sly at the moment, like he was implying something.

("Rikuo, don't try and convince me that this is fate. I hate the idea that my life is changed in such a huge way and I have no say in it at all.") Deondre felt his head dip lower towards the ground.

_("Then answer my question. Have you ever howled at the moon?")_

("....No...")

_("Did you have to forcefully restrain yourself from doing so? Was it required that you had to actually do something to take your attention off the moon?")_

Deondre felt his cheeks burning. ("Yes....")

_("I thought as much. Crioteus had the same problem as you. He feared his blood.")_

("He had every right to fear it. This is a horrible thing to have put on you.")

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Rikuo snorted and looked across the room at the fidgeting form of Crioteus. "What the hell is the matter with you?"_

_Crioteus started to oil the blade of his sword with extra care, until little wisps of smoke was coming from the blade. "Nothing at all...nothing..."_

_Rikuo walked over to the window and looked out at the full moon. "Keh, you're pitiful." He opened the window and stuck his head out, taking in the smells of the night and the forest._

"_Please close that..." Crioteus was moving around like he was on a sugar high, though he didn't seem like he was enjoying it._

_Rikuo grinned at his companion's displeasure. "I will in a second." He took a deep breath and the let out one dragging howl into the night. The sound echoed across the forest and was shortly responded to by the howls of other, normal wolves. The wolf demon smirked and looked over at Crioteus, who was covering his ears with his hands. "This is ridiculous. Stop being such a weakling..."_

_Crioteus snapped his head up and frowned at Rikuo. "Then don't act like a beast! It's undignified to howl like that. You're a creature of class and..."_

_A snort of derision from Rikuo cut him short. "And I'm a wolf. Demon or no, I'm still a creature of the night. You are too, you stuck up mutt."_

_Crioteus clenched his fists angrily. "You dare to call me a common beast!?"_

"_Common?" Rikuo rolled his eyes and looked out at the moon. "In her eyes, there is no such thing as royalty. There's simply a song that you can feel in the air." He lifted his head up and howled once more, the sound echoing around the room this time._

_Crioteus began to growl quietly. "Silence! Stop!"_

_Rikuo continued to howl, ignoring the dog demon's protests._

_Crioteus couldn't take it anymore! He charged over and slammed his fist into the side of Rikuo's head, flooring the wolf demon. "STOP IT!!!!!" His scream of anger slowly rose in crescendo and just like that, he was howling. It was a howl of frustration and rage, yet it was a howl all the same._

_Minutes passed by in an instant, and then Crioteus was on his knees, panting slightly. He felt emotionally drained. At the same time though, he felt cleansed and at peace._

_Rikuo patted him on the back and casually said, "It was a little rough, but it was a good first attempt..."_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deondre came back to himself to find himself on his knees and howling up at the blue sky above. He couldn't stop himself, despite how hard he tried, and he felt like the biggest idiot in the world. Then his ears picked up the sound of another voice howling with him.

Daniel had his head back and was howling along with Deondre, as was Rikuo, who was still in Deondre's mind.

And then it was over....

Deondre felt just like Crioteus had. He felt drained emotionally, and yet where he felt drained, there was a feeling of fulfillment filling the void. ("Why...did you show me that?")

_("Because, you needed to learn to stop denying yourself the simple pleasures of what you are.")_ There was a mental click in his head, and just like that he was alone in his mind.

Looking down at his deck, Deondre felt the fulfillment pulsing through him. ("Acceptance...") He drew...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel smiled at the enlightened look that he saw in Deondre's eyes. ("You're going to have to teach me how to do that who little mind jump thing.")

Rikuo snorted. _("Keh! You'd need to be a spirit first. Besides, you'd use it to screw with people's minds.")_

("Just the evil people...")

_("Sure...")_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deondre came to his feet with a tired smile on his face. "I'm ready. Daniel, I need..."

"...way ahead of you Deondre. Do what you wish."

"Thanks." Deondre slid his Dimensional Knight into his graveyard slot. "I'm sacrificing both my monster and my partner's monster!"

Daniel grinned as he watched his friend slam down the monster card he had drawn. ("It's about time.")

"I summon Dog Demon Knight-Supremus!" (2800/2000)

("What!?")

Rikuo echoed his hikari's stare. _("I was expecting the Dog Demon Lord Card...What the hells is this!?")_ Deondre's field went up in an explosion of flames. From within the fire, something could be seen.

When the fire died, a magnificent knight in crimson red armor stood on his field. The knight drew his weapon; a huge sword shaped like a fang, from his back and hefted the weapon, the blade aimed at Alks and Ladgie.

Deondre smiled from behind his monster. "Supremus's special ability allows me to destroy all magic and trap cards on your field when he is tribute summoned. Go Shattering Storm!" The knight slammed his weapon into the ground and an explosion of wind blew across the field, destroying all of both Alks' and Ladgie's face-down and face-up trap and magic card in one blast.

Daniel continued to stare at the knight monster. ("What the...when...er....damn...")

Deondre wasn't done yet. "Daniel, do you have anything to add before I attack?"

Daniel nodded and flipped up his face-down card. "Call to Arms lets me equip any card in my hand to one monster on the field, so..." He slid the card he was holding into his duel disk. "I play the Legendary Weapon Card Howling Sword, which will add 1000 attack points to Deondre's monster and then double its attack points!" The knight's fang weapon was now lit up with phantom flames. (7600/2000)

Deondre raised his hand and pointed at his new monster. "Demon Dog Knight-Supremus, attack their Satellite Cannon with Howling Fang!" The knight raised his weapon to point up at the sky. The huge blade pulsed for a moment, and then it shot out a wave of energy that quickly went out of sight.

Alks paled visibly. "There's no way...." The loud explosion that rang out high above them said otherwise.

Deondre smirked. "Your Satellite Cannon is destroyed, and so are the rest of your life points."

Alks- 0

Ladgie- 3500

----------

Daniel- 400

Deondre- 4000

Daniel smiled over at Ladgie. "Your deck is meant to support Alks, so I doubt that you are going to stand much of a chance against us. Give up?"

The smaller man sighed and nodded. "You win..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel stepped up to Alks and smiled. "Alright, now why were you jerks so intent on taking us down?"

The big man reached into his coat and pulled out a small box about the size of a CD carrying case. "Here..." He handed the box to Daniel and then walked off.

Daniel stared at the box for a few seconds, before he flipped it over and saw that someone had attached a note to the back. Reading the small print...

_Dear Daniel Pilkington and Deondre Anderson,_

_Congratulations on defeating your examiners. I am so glad that you pulled through. Enclosed inside this box are a CD and some other materials you will need._

Deondre tapped Daniel on the shoulder. "So what's the deal?"

Daniel turned and shrugged. "I guess we're going to the computer lab."

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The whole world's a stage

Author's Notes: Alright, I owe some people explanations to stuff.

To Luna's Meow: If you only watch the English dubs, then you will have absolutely no idea about the whole triple infinite thing. It would be a spoiler if I said anything about it, so can't explain. It will happen though.

To thegymrat: Well, your story influenced me to write my own. I liked the way you presented all of your scenes and your challenges were pretty cool too.

To The Obsessive Zero Fan: First off, Joey is a demon lord. The Phoenix one, to be exact. This really won't have a big outcome on his life, considering that he gave the Legendary Weapon Card to Ryu and Rikuo for safe-keeping.

Seto is not a demon lord. At least not yet.....MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Anyhow, I assume in Seto's case that you mean the Shattering Fang draw when Deondre was in his body? Well keep in mind that the Legendary Weapon Cards like to jump around a lot. They're tricky like that.

2) Amy Hiroshi (No relation to Saito Hiroshi from season three) will be making her return in the World Tour arc. Keep your eyes peeled for her.


	4. The whole world's a stage

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 4: The whole worlds a stage

_The big man reached into his coat and pulled out a small box about the size of a CD carrying case. "Here..." He handed the box to Daniel and then walked off._

_Daniel stared at the box for a few seconds, before he flipped it over and saw that someone had attached a note to the back. Reading the small print..._

_**Dear Daniel Pilkington and Deondre Anderson,**_

_**Congratulations on defeating your examiners. I am so glad that you pulled through. Enclosed inside this box are a CD and some other materials you will need.**_

_Deondre tapped Daniel on the shoulder. "So what's the deal?"_

_Daniel turned and shrugged. "I guess we're going to the computer lab."_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right after school, Daniel found himself tearing down the halls to get to the computer lab. ("I...must...hurry!")

_("Is there any particular reason that you nearly ran over the janitor? Or is this crazy school business as usual?")_

("I want to know what's on this CD!") Daniel leapt right over the heads of a clump of students, and hit the ground running.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deondre waved absentmindedly to Daniel when the half wolf-demon nearly crashed right through the door to the computer lab. "Hey man." In his hand was the card that he had been staring at through most of his classes. ("Dog Demon Knight-Supremus...")

Daniel leaned over to look at what Deondre was staring at, and then he grinned. "That's a powerful physical avatar if I have ever seen one." He then slid past his friend and plopped down in front of a computer, the black box on hand. Opening it, he removed the CD inside and spun the little disc on one finger. "Now, let's have a look at what is so important, shall we?"

Deondre nodded. "Yeah..."

Right before Daniel could insert the disk into the computer, the sound of running could be heard right outside. There were a couple of dull thuds outside the door, and then the forms of CJ and Allon exploded into the room.

CJ charged right up to Daniel and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him out of his chair so they were looking eye to eye. "Why didn't you tell me that we were meeting in here!?"

Allon crashed down into a chair and pulled out his backpack. Fishing through it, he pulled out his deck and some of his spare cards.

Daniel sighed and crossed his arms, glaring evenly at CJ. "Put...me...down...now."

CJ smirked and let go of Daniel, the red-haired boy crashing unceremoniously to the ground. "Sure."

Daniel muttered a few uncomplimentary things about CJ, and then climbed back onto his feet. Brushing himself off, he turned and opened the computer's CD drive. "I didn't tell you to meet us here because if I am correct, your name isn't Daniel Pilkington or Deondre Anderson."

The dark-skinned horse demon cracked his knuckles loudly. "...I'm...part...of this team too!!"

Deondre looked up from his newest card long enough to laugh. "You're our comedy relief, you mean?"

Daniel sighed as he watched CJ do the equivalent of teleporting across the room and tackling Deondre. "And once again, the madness between CJ and Deondre begins." He slid out of his chair and walked over to take a seat next to Allon. "So, how many cards did you lose to CJ today?"

The bigger red-haired boy sighed and fanned his deck out in his hand. "Twenty-four cards."

"You've got a good chance of winning; you just need to get down your theme. So far, all I've seen is some random monster cards in your deck. I could help you if you want."

Allon nodded solemnly and, without even looking, handed his deck to Daniel.

After a few minutes, Daniel handed the deck back to him. "Not bad, but your deck still needs a theme."

Allon sighed and put his head in his hands. "What theme can I use?"

Daniel rubbed at his chin. ("Rikuo?")

_("Since when did I help humans with anything?")_ Rikuo's tone rang with haughtiness.

("Oh come on! Just this once?")

_("You're pitiful. I suppose he might have a good chance with a...")_

Allon blinked in confusion as Daniel nearly fell out of his chair laughing. "What's so funny?"

Daniel slowly got back into his seat and wiped a tear out of his eye. ("That was a good one Rikuo. Seriously though...")

_("I wasn't joking.")_

("......Do you even understand how hard it is to find those cards? I don't own any copies of those cards, and I've opened at least a hundred packs of the series they come in.")

A sigh rang out in his head. _("Reach into your backpack and pull out your card box.")_

Daniel decided that he may as well comply with the ancient spirit's demands. Unzipping his backpack, he reached in and pulled out the brown leather casing that carried all of his spare rare cards.

_("Now there should be a deck box in there. Give it to Allon and let him take it for a test drive.")_

Daniel reached in, and after pushing numerous piles of cards out of his way, found the deck box that Rikuo was talking about. Pulling the plastic case out of his box, he handed it to Allon. "Rikuo says that you should give this deck a try."

Allon took the deck box, popped it open, and then pulled the deck out of it. He fanned out the cards and his eyes widened. "A...are...you sure!? These are..."

"Excuse me!" A voice came from the computer. "I think I've seen enough of your two friends beating each other senseless! Can someone come here and talk to me!?"

Daniel slid out of his seat and went over to the machine, though he made a wide detour around Deondre and CJ, who were currently seeing whose skull was harder by exposing each other to a series of head-butts.

A man was on the screen that Daniel knew of as legendary. "No way...you're..."

The man on the screen took a sip of his red wine and smiled genuinely. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Not many people duel Yugi Moto to a standstill."

His voice was so cultured that he sounded like he was addressing someone who amused him. "Of course, that just means that I thought it might be best to come to you with my problem."

Daniel collapsed into the chair in front of the screen, the ears on top of his head twitching a little at how much of a surprise this entire situation was. "I'd be honored to help you, sir."

Maximillion Pegasus took another sip of his red wine. "Excellent, because this problem is concerns the fate of the world. And I'd think you'd like to know about it because it's being done by someone you should remember all too well."

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The crusade of darkness

Author's Notes: Just so all of you, I'm heading home for this weekend. Since I'm leaving on Thursday and not taking my computer with me, then I really won't be able to post any new chapters until Sunday afternoon. Please forgive me if I am leaving all of you in suspense.


	5. The Crusade of Darkness

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 5: The crusade of darkness

_Daniel collapsed into the chair in front of the screen, the ears on top of his head twitching a little at how much of a surprise this entire situation was. "I'd be honored to help you, sir."_

_Maximillion Pegasus took another sip of his red wine. "Excellent, because this problem is concerns the fate of the world. And I'd think you'd like to know about it because it's being done by someone you should remember all too well."_

The computer screen flickered and a map of the world came up. "In the last twenty-four hours, a disturbing number of reports have come in about 'monster' attacks." The screen became speckled with red dots, showing where the reports had been received. "At first, all of these events were considered to be unrelated."

The screen flickered again and a picture of a red-eyed and white haired man appeared on it. In an odd way, he reminded Daniel of Pegasus. "And then this man contacted the individual leaders of the world with a message."

Rikuo slid to the front of their mind, taking over as he recognized the face. "I've seen him before."

The picture was moved to the side and Pegasus reappeared on the screen. "I'd assume you would. That gentleman is Seren Teska, an ex-board member of the Shadow Corporation. And he's declared a war on the world."

Rikuo narrowed his eyes at the picture. "How do you declare a war on the world?"

Pegasus frowned at his next words. "By using a weapon that no one has any idea how to defeat, Duel Monsters."

Rikuo stuck a finger into one ear and cleaned it out. "Would you care to repeat that? I think I had something stuck in my ear. I thought I heard you say that Seren is using Duel Monsters to try and take over the world."

Pegasus grimly nodded. "That's exactly right." The screen changed to camera footage of a giant red monster made of lava attacking some tanks at a military base. "This footage was picked up from an American military base. Apparently, Seren is using some kind of magic to bring the monsters on the cards to life and he is using them as weapons in his attempted conquest."

In the back of Rikuo's mind, Daniel wanted to laugh at how stupidly funny it seemed. Then he recognized the forms of actual humans being attacked by the monster on the screen and any reason to laugh faded. _("Rikuo...")_

("I know.") "Why did you bring this information to us? Why not go to Yugi and his friends?" The wolf demon watched the monster tear a path through the soldiers in its way with a fireball, immolating some of them in the process.

"Because while Yugi Moto is the best at Duel Monsters, I doubt he has any knowledge in dealing with demons. You, on the other hand, are one yourself. And since Seren's message was rather oriented towards demons, I thought that maybe you'd have some opinion on this." The screen flicked off and then flicked onto another picture of Seren. This time he was sitting in a leather chair in a dark office.

_The crane demon took a sip from a water glass on the desk, and then he shifted his attention to the camera. "I extend my greetings to the leaders of the human nations of the world. I hope I have not caught you at a bad time, but I thought there was something that you may want to know." He tapped a button on his desk and his image disappeared, replaced by live pictures of areas around the world being attacked by monsters. _

_One picture was of a huge green moth that was flying over a park in the middle of a city. Everywhere it went, the trees and grass began to instantly wither away._

_Then the screen flickered again and changed to a picture of a destroyed city street, where an army of brown insects skittered around, swallowing random pieces of metal and stone in one bite._

_The next picture was of a group of men with guns firing on a gigantic white-scaled dragon. Roaring, the monster charged up a lump of energy within its jaws and then spat the blast out at the gathered men, destroying both them and the camera instantly._

_Seren was back on the screen. "Ah, it does my heart good to see such destruction to the human race again." He spun around in his chair and smiled light-heartedly to the camera. "Now then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Seren Teska, leader of the Demon Nation. And our mission is to bring demons back to the positions they used to be in." _

_He swiveled ninety degrees in his chair, shadowing his face. "Long ago, the human race ran in fear when they heard the name of a demon uttered. Now though, everything has degraded to the point where demons aren't even considered real." _

_His voice sounded angry...and cold. "That will all change though. I am offering each of you a chance to either offer the complete surrender of your country, or..." The camera flickered to a picture of a sky filled with Duel Monsters. The cloud of creatures flooded into a distant city. And then screaming and explosions could be heard._

_The picture flickered back to Seren, who had the camera zoomed in on his face. "I give you four days to make your separate decisions. If you attempt to retaliate, then I will have your homes and families destroyed by my...friends." He winked to the camera. "Just a friendly warning, in case you think of stopping me."_

The picture froze on that image, which then faded away and replaced by Pegasus' scowling visage. "As you can see, Seren has taken it upon himself to try and subjugate the human race. And he's using my creations to do it. This cannot be allowed to happen."

"And that's why you've contacted me?" Rikuo raised an eyebrow. "What in the hells am I supposed to do about it?"

Pegasus smiled a little at the question. "There's a way to stop Seren and his army of Duel Monsters. It's going to require that you do me a favor and collect some cards from certain locations around the world."

"What's so special about these cards?"

"Each one of them is part of a key that will seal away all of these Duel Monsters and stop Seren's evil plans from coming to be. I will provide you with all of the needed transportation and locations." Pegasus frowned. "You're our best chance to stop this."

Rikuo sighed and sat back in his chair, eyes looking up at the ceiling. ("Should I help? What do I care, I'm a demon after all.")

_("Rikuo...")_ Daniel's mental voice carried a very menacing undertone to it.

("You're such a nagger.") Rikuo sat up and nodded. "Alright, I'm in."

Pegasus smiled again, looking relieved. "Excellent. Now, I'll deal with the necessary settlements involving your school and home life. Your first target is in Las Vegas anyway, so you can go and get it now." The computer's printer beeped and printed out a piece of paper with a location on it.

Daniel slid to the front of his mind and nodded, grabbing the piece of paper and shoving it into his jeans pocket. "Alright, I'll get on it right away."

He started to get up from his seat, but Pegasus' voice stopped him. "Hold on, there are a couple of things that you are going to need. Inside the box that this CD came with, there should be five metal keys. Each one will open one of the strongboxes that hold a card in it. The other object is a special pack of cards that I think might just help you."

Daniel grabbed the box from off to the side and emptied the contents onto the desk. Sure enough, a small ring of keys clattered onto the desk and so did a silver-foiled packet of Duel Monsters cards. Picking up the pack, Daniel rolled his eyes at the title. "Saviors of the World Series?"

From within the screen, Pegasus shrugged. "It's not like the cards in it are going to be mass produced. Plus, it is true."

Allon came up behind Daniel and looked at the pack of cards. "Are you going to open it now?"

"Not yet." Daniel looked over at Pegasus, who was still on the screen. "I assume you'll keep in touch?"

"But of course." The screen flickered and then shut off.

Daniel opened the disc drive and took out the CD. He dropped it back into the box and then slid the keys and pack into his pants pocket. "Alright, I'm out of here."

Allon shook his head and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I'm coming too."

At that moment, CJ awoke from the concussion that he had shared with Deondre. "What happened???"

Sighing, Daniel walked over and helped his friend up. "What happened is that we're going to need to save the world again. Feel up to it?"

CJ shook his head out a couple of times and then grinned superiorly. "Of course I am! I'm always ready for action!"

Allon frowned. "What about me!?"

Daniel spun around and bit his lower lip... "Well...I would let you come and all....but...."

Allon cracked his knuckles angrily. He looked like he was about to punch Daniel. "But?"

Taking a cautious couple of steps back, Daniel got ready to run. "It's just the fact that you're human and all....URGH!!" His sentence was cut off as Allon got him in a stranglehold. He could have broken free if he really had wanted to, but he didn't like to use a demon level of strength unless he was forced to.

Allon continued to squeeze Daniel's neck tightly, his face red. "You discriminating jerk!"

CJ tapped Allon the shoulder. "Umm...I don't think he can hear you."

It was true; Daniel's eyes had rolled back into his head and he was limp.

Allon dropped the half wolf-demon to the tile and shrugged. "Oh, well I guess that settles if I am going or not, right?"

CJ shrugged back. "I guess so." He hefted the still unconscious Deondre over his shoulders, while Allon did the same with Daniel. Minutes later, they were in Daniel's truck and on their way to the location printed on the piece of paper that Daniel had.

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"Are you sure that you know how to drive?"

"Of course!"

Deondre clutched his forehead and groaned a couple of times. After a couple of minutes of seeing two ceilings, he finally got his vision focused enough that he could see straight. ("From this point onward, I will never try and prove that my head is harder than CJ's.") He poked his head out from between the two seats in Daniel's truck and screamed at the sight of a semi headed at them. "TURN!!"

CJ tugged the steering wheel sloppily to the side, the truck lurching out of the way of the eighteen-wheeler and skidding across the road to come to a stop in the middle of a barren patch of land next to a shopping center.

Deondre clutched at his chest, his heart beating far too fast for its own good. "ARE YOU INSANE!? You tried to drive Daniel's truck without his permission!?"

CJ and Allon looked back at Deondre and they shrugged. "Daniel's unconscious." They both pointed to the unmoving form next to Deondre.

A few seconds passed in silence, and then Deondre face-fell.

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After looking over the directions that Pegasus had sent Daniel, they let Deondre do the driving. Finally they arrived at the marked location.

Allon looked out the window and frowned. "Why would Pegasus hide the card here? This seems like the worst place to keep something for a long amount of time."

Deondre shook his head. "Actually, storing it in a casino is the best place to put it." He drove the truck into the parking structure of the building and after ten minutes he managed to find a decent place to park.

As everyone climbed out of the truck, Deondre looked back inside at the still unmoving form of Daniel. "Shouldn't we wake him up now?"

CJ shook his head and climbed out of the truck, his duel disk attached to his arm. "Naw, let him sleep."

Allon grabbed Daniel's duel disk and slid his borrowed deck in place inside the slot. ("Alright, now I can prove that I am up to all of this.") He slammed the door shut and turned to join CJ and Deondre.

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_The boy screamed and ran down another alleyway, his eyes wide in fright..._

_He could hear them coming to kill him, and he knew that there was no chance to fight. All he could do was and pray for a miracle._

"_He's down this way!" A voice yelled, followed by the sounds of gunfire in the distance._

_The screams that accompanied those gunshots were familiar to the boy. He ran another three steps, and then crashed to his knees._

_A click behind him was barely registered. "You're out of luck, kid." The soldier stepped into the light of a lamp post, the Swastika on his helmet glowing dimly in the light. "Now prepare..."_

_The boy slowly rose to his feet and exploded into a fit of insane laughter._

_The soldier took a step back, his machine gun raised wearily. "What's so funny?"_

_The laughter stopped. "What's so funny...is that you're about to die."_

_There was an echo of gunfire, and then screams. These screams, however, were ones that could only come from someone who was being tortured. And unlike the screams from before, these ones lasted for a few hours._

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The City of Lights

Author's Notes: It is good to be back! Thank you, everyone who was waiting patiently for my return. I'm glad to be back.

By the way, give Gryphinwyrm7's story, War of the Gods, a try. It's definitely worth reading.


	6. The City of Lights

Disclaimer-No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 6: The City of Lights

Even though Pegasus' instructions were rather vague on the specific location of the strongbox with the card, Deondre knew exactly where it would be kept. ("Gameworks...")

Gameworks was a giant arcade that could be found in downtown Las Vegas. It was the ultimate place for anyone to hang out, but as of late, duelists had found the place out. They turned the arcade into an unofficial central station for dueling, and Deondre had been there on occasions, though he still had problems finding people to duel when he was there.

("And it's where the card that Pegasus wanted is.") The elevator tinged as it reached ground level, the doors opening smoothly. Deondre nodded to Allon and CJ, and then all three of them walked into the dimly lit arcade, senses on full alert.

All around them were an enormous variety of gaming machines. The three nodded and split up, hoping to find some clues about the location of the card.

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CJ slid past a group of kids who were busy playing DDR, and rubbed his chin. ("Where's that strongbox?")

His reverie was shattered, as a very familiar voice reached his ears. "I know that Daniel's around here somewhere! He has to be!" A familiar head of brown hair shot past his line of sight, and then it was gone.

CJ stared at the spot where the head of hair had disappeared to. ("Was that Amy?")

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Deondre tapped his chin as he surveyed the dueling arena that was set up inside Gameworks. Two duelists were currently engaged in a riveting game. ("If you call the two of them hitting each other with Yata-Garasu (200/100) over and over again riveting.") The two opponents had no cards in their hand and no cards on their field. Strike that, they did have one card in their hands, and it was Yata. That meant that they were simply preventing each other from drawing each turn.

The duelist rested his elbows on the railing in front of him and put his head in his palms. "This is ridiculous. Where did Pegasus store that card!?"

"Deondre!?!? Is that you!?" An all too familiar voice behind him screeched.

The dog demon froze up at the sound of that voice. "Amy...." He was about to spin around, but was stopped cold when he felt a sudden pressure on his ears. His thoughts instantly faded in a mix of complete embarrassment and guilty pleasure.

Amy stared at Deondre's reaction to her rubbing his ears. He was emitting a strange noise that reminded her of a purring cat. "Wow, so they really are real." She released her hold on the fuzzy ears. The owner of said ears, who had been leaning slightly into the rub, continued to lean forward and crashed face-first into the ground.

"Amy," Deondre muttered from the floor. "What are you doing here?"

The brown-haired girl struck a pose, her almost business-suit like attire making the action look weird. "I'm here to find Daniel! I have important business to discuss with him." She looked down at the still face-planted demon. "Now, why do you look like that?"

Deondre lifted his face off the ground and sighed. "I hope you have a few minutes, because this is going to be a lot to take in."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Allon had checked the whole arcade over at least ten times, and he didn't see anything remotely like what they would be looking for. "Where's that strongbox?"

He barely managed to regain his footing as someone shoved right past him.

The culprit of the shove was a tall and lanky man who was clothed from neck to toe in black, buckled leather. His face was concealed by a hood of black cloth that hid his face.

Allon stomped up behind the man and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. "What's the rush?"

The man looked at him for a few seconds, and then turned around, walking towards the dueling arena.

Allon felt himself develop a twitch in his right eye. "You've got some nerve!" He charged the man, ready to tackle him.

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Amy stared at Deondre as he finished his story. "So....you're actually a demon?"

He nodded.

"And...so is CJ?"

He nodded again.

She went silent for a few seconds, and then leapt out of her seat. "This is great! Team Topdeck will make even more money than ever before. With all of you guys as demons, you'll be able to win against almost anyone! We'll be rich! And as the manager, I'll of course get about twenty percent of all profits." She started to dance around happily, dollar signs evident in her eyes.

Deondre sighed and shook his head. ("Some people couldn't change the way they think if their life depended on it.")

A crash caught his attention next. ("What?")

"I'll get you yet!" Someone yelled, and then there was another series of crashes.

Allon flew right past Deondre's head, bouncing a couple of times across the ground of the dueling arena and coming to a stop at the end of the smooth steel surface.

Seconds later, the leather-clad man walked into sight, his hooded vision focused entirely on Allon. "How foolish, what made you think that you could hurt me at all?"

Deondre glanced back at Amy, who got the message and moved back a few feet. "Before I beat you to a pulp, how about answering a question for me?"

The man turned to look at the dog demon. "What's this? One of the demon lords?" He went into a mockingly low bow. "It is an honor, sir." His raspy voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Deondre refused to lose his temper to such a stupid insult. "Who are you?"

The 'man' removed his hood, revealing something that made even Deondre flinch a little in disgust. Though he was wearing a black leather mask over his face, the areas of flesh that Deondre could see were skinless, giving the leather-clad creature a lipless grin and a pair of bloodshot red eyes. "I am Diabu, the Dark Demon Knight of pain."

Deondre narrowed his golden eyes, clenching his fists slightly. He was tensing himself to strike. "Dark Demon Knight?"

The muscle tissue around Diabu's mouth lifted in some semblance of a smile. "That's right. Think of us as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The only beings who should fear us are the humans, though. The humans and those that oppose us like you." His hand lifted up, a black-gloved finger pointing right at Deondre.

Deondre growled quietly, his now-bared fangs glittering in the dim light of the arcade. "I'm about to make you sorry that you ever picked on my friend." He lunged forward with speed that only a demon could produce, reaching Diabu in less than a second. Cocking back his fist, Deondre threw as heavy of a punch as he could muster at the demon's head.

Diabu slid out of the way of the blow and slammed his fist down onto Deondre's head, sending him flying away. "You wish to fight me? Very well, I accept your pathetic challenge."

Deondre got back onto his feet just in time to catch Diabu's claw, which drove right into his gut. His feet left the ground for a few seconds, and then he was bouncing across the floor, finally stopping when his back slammed into a wall.

The Dark Demon Knight looked down at the blood staining his gloves, and turned away from Deondre. "Pitiful. I was at least expecting a little bit of a fight."

"You'll get a fight, just not from him." A gruff voice said from off to the pain demon's side.

Diabu turned to come nearly face to face with Rikuo. "Ah, greetings General." He calmly stepped out of range of any immediate violence from his new opponent. "I was wondering if you were foolish enough to send a pup and a human to try and find the card. Now I see that you are not so stupid."

Rikuo flexed his claws, smirking. "So you're calling yourself a Dark Demon Knight? I don't think that the original Dark Demon Knights would appreciate that at all." The tone he was using showed that he didn't really care.

Diabu threw his head back and laughed. "You're such a fool! I am a Dark Demon Knight!" He brought his bloodshot eyes to look at the wolf demon. "And I'll prove it to you. I challenge you to a darkness game."

Rikuo smirked wider, his fangs showing in the dim light. "Su..."

"No!"

Rikuo glanced over at Allon, who had gotten to his feet. "Diabu, I challenge you to a darkness game!"

The pain demon kept his attention on Rikuo. "You're not worth my time, human scum."

Allon spat a small gob of blood onto the steel floor of the dueling arena. "Is that so? I think you're afraid of me."

Diabu head turned slowly around, bringing dry eyes to bear down on the human boy. "I accept. It's been a while since I've gotten a new human skin to hang on my wall." He silently moved into the arena. "I assume this is a challenge to a game of Duel Monsters? Or do you think that you can beat me in battle?"

Allon checked his borrowed duel disk over and made sure that it hadn't been damaged at all from his landing. "It's a game of Duel Monsters. And when I beat you, you'll have to leave this place."

Diabu took his place across from Allon and exploded into insane laughter. "That's fine with me! But if I win, then you lose something very precious to you!" All around them, a ball of black and purple energy began to develop.

Rikuo stood off to the side and watched as the two duelists were taken out of sight. ("Now we see if he can use that deck properly.")

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Allon clicked the duel disk into place, looking down at the deck that Daniel had given him. "Alright, so are you ready?"

"Not just yet, boy." Diabu waved his hand and a faint chattering noise echoed within the void that surrounded them. "There, now I am ready." Reaching behind his back, he withdrew a black duel disk from out of nowhere and snapped the device onto his arm.

Allon drew his beginning five cards off of his deck. "I'm going to pay you back for throwing me across the room like a football."

The pain demon drew his five and his lipless grin somehow seemed to widen. "In about two turns, physical pain will be the last thing on your mind."

Allon drew and slid the card into his hand. "That's right. First I set two cards face-down, and then I set one monster in defense mode. End turn." The three cards appeared on his field in the appropriate positions.

Diabu drew and flicked his hand open. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to watch your entire existence be proven as wrong?" He slid a card into his duel disk, which appeared on his field. "Don't you think it's strange that Rikuo didn't stop you from dueling me in this darkness game? End turn."

Allon drew and slid the card into his hand. "No on both questions. He trusts that I will make the right choices and win this duel. I set another monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Diabu drew again. "Oh, is that so? Perhaps you don't understand the demon mindset, little human. End turn."

Allon drew and played his monster. "I summon Emissary of the Afterlife (1600/1200) in attack mode!" The field in front of him grew dark. A scythe-wielding reaper appeared from within the darkness and howled in anguish. "Then I reveal my other two monsters!" He grabbed the two cards off of his duel disk and tossed them both onto his duel disk in a vertical position. "Witch of the Black Forest (1100/1200) and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress (800/2200) in attack mode!" A woman in black robes and a squat little robot appeared on his field. "Now I'll attack you with all of my monsters! Go!" The three creatures charged across the field and slammed into Diabu, one after another.

Allon- 8000

Diabu- 4500

The pain demon stumbled back slightly and clutched at his chest. His gasp of pain quickly lapsed into a burst of insane laughter. "It's amusing to watch humans fight that which they cannot defeat. Reveal face-down field trap card, Torture Chamber!" All around him screams of torment and anguish rose up from the blackness.

Allon snapped his head back and forth fearfully. "A field trap card!? When did they make a card like that?"

Diabu motioned to the darkness around him. "Torture Chamber requires that I must take over 3000 life points of damage for it to activate. As long as it remains in effect, I can activate any trap card from my deck for the measly cost of 1000 life points. So I'll pay 3000 life points to trigger these three traps from my deck!" His duel disk whined and spat out three cards. Grabbing them out of the air, Diabu slid them right into his duel disk. "Activate Shadow Spell! Activate Nightmare Wheel! Activate Chains of Hell!"

Allon- 8000

Diabu- 1500

The first card appeared on the field and sprayed out a storm of chains that wrapped around the Gear Golem and pinned it to the ground, draining it of 700 attack points and preventing it from switching modes. (100/2200)

The second trap created a wheel of bone that spat out spiked chains and grabbed the Emissary of the Afterlife. The ghostly monster was tied to the wheel, unable to attack or move.

The final trap card shot blood red chains of muscle tissue out of the ground and entrapped the Witch of the Black Forest. As long as they stayed in effect, Allon would lose one card from his hand each of his turns.

And through it all, Allon could only grimace at the sight of his three monsters becoming paralyzed. ("Great....I might have drained him of a lot of life points, but it really won't matter if I can't attack him.") "End turn."

Diabu drew and his blood-shot eyes met with Allon's own. "Humans are nothing to a demon but a plaything. When we grow bored of them, we toss them away like the garbage they are. However, when we are in the mood to play..." He slapped down a monster onto his duel disk. "We make sure to milk them for everything they are worth! Come forth, Lord of the Art!" (1500/900)

A demon in black leather that looked strangely like Diabu appeared on the field and cackled. "As long as he is on the field, all numbers on trap effects are doubled." The demon howled into the darkness, and the three traps on Allon's field seemed to tighten their respective holds on their victims. "End turn."

Allon drew. "I...." All thoughts were immediately blown out of his head as the Nightmare Wheel attacked his life points. Clutching his skull, he fell to the ground and screamed as fire burned through his brain.

Allon- 7000

Diabu- 1500

Diabu and the Lord of the Art both laughed in amusement at the boy's pain. "Do you understand what precious thing I was talking about?" He gave Allon a few seconds to answer, but when the still screaming boy didn't answer, he continued. "It was your sanity! If you run out of life points, there won't be anything left but a useless husk of a being."

Allon could barely register his opponent's voice though. All he could think about was the fact that he could feel the holes in his mind.

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_The boy stood over the screaming mass of flesh that once represented the soldier that was the focus of his wrath._

_**("That's it. Make him feel the pain that you felt when you heard your parents die. Show him just a taste of the hell that you feel.")**_

_Slashing another chunk of the man's flesh off, the boy was all too willing to comply with the voice in his head._

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The Dark Demon Knights

Author's Notes: To GryphinWyrm7- This is taking place at the same time as the Dartz incident in the real Yugioh show. I'd tell you more, but that would be giving out spoilers.


	7. Awakening the Forbidden

Disclaimer- No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 7: Awakening the Forbidden

_Allon drew. "I...." All thoughts were immediately blown out of his head as the Nightmare Wheel attacked his life points. Clutching his skull, he fell to the ground and screamed as fire burned through his brain._

_Allon- 7000_

_Diabu- 1500_

_Diabu and the Lord of the Art both laughed in amusement at the boy's pain. "Do you understand what precious thing I was talking about?" He gave Allon a few seconds to answer, but when the still screaming boy didn't answer, he continued. "It was your sanity! If you run out of life points, there won't be anything left but a useless husk of a being."_

_Allon could barely register his opponent's voice though. All he could think about was the fact that he could feel the holes in his mind._

Diabu crossed his arms across his chest. "So are you surrendering?"

Allon somehow managed to get back onto his feet. "Of course not....I'm not done yet." His slightly glazed over eyes looked at the card he had drawn. "First...I'll activate Card of Sanctity. Now both of us will draw until we hold six cards in our hand." He started to draw off the top of his deck until his hand was full again. ("Alright...now's my...chance.") He clutched his skull and waited for the pain to fade away before he slid his cards into the disk slots. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Diabu drew his card and slid it into his disk. "I set one monster face-down. End turn."

Allon drew and fell to the ground screaming instantly, the Nightmare Wheel's enhanced damage effect destroying another piece of his sanity.

Allon- 6000

Diabu- 1500

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Rikuo slid back into and gave control back to Daniel. He didn't see any reason to use up his limited energy watching the darkness sphere.

Daniel looked over at Amy in surprise. "Err....hey there Amy. What are you doing here?"

The brown-haired girl stared at Daniel for a few seconds, and then grabbed the ears on top of his head, rubbing them gently. "Are these things real? I thought Rikuo..."

Her sentence was cut short as Daniel's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed into a dead faint.

She blinked at his prone body for a few seconds, before Deondre sighed from behind her. "I'd advise you not to do that. He's still extremely girl-shy." Amy nodded and looked back at the dog demon.

Deondre grimaced as he held his hand against the wound in his stomach. "Amy, did you see CJ somewhere around here?"

Amy shook her head. "Nope. Is he here with you guys?"

Deondre nodded, though he muttered under his breath, "I guess not."

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Allon got back to his feet, though this time he couldn't immediately remember what he had planned on doing. ("I know that I had a plan...what was it though?")

A pair of ghostly hands reached out of his graveyard slot and grabbed a card each from his hand, yanking them into the graveyard.

His blurred thoughts barely understood what that meant. ("I...remember....something. I need to protect the...middle card from those hands?") He placed it onto his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Diabu drew his card and slid a card into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Allon drew and clutched at his head, crashing to the ground and screaming as the Nightmare Wheel burned into his brain once again. Then the pair of phantom hands shot out of his graveyard slot and stole two more cards out of his hand, leaving him with only one card.

Allon- 5000

Diabu- 1500

The pain demon tilted his head back and laughed. "This is why humans are so weak. A demon would be able to withstand the pain enough to battle on. What's your excuse for not being able to fight it off?"

Allon had his now glazed over eyes staring numbly at the ground.

Diabu frowned and crossed his arms. "This is ridiculous. Why am I even wasting my time with you?"

"Because...I'm not....beaten....yet..." Allon blinked a few times and the glaze over his eyes faded slightly. He came to his feet once again, though this time much more shakily than normal.

Diabu cackled. "Human, you're just making this all the more fun for me."

Allon looked at his remaining card. ("I can't use this.") "End turn."

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Daniel walked around in the blackness that surrounded him warily. "Rikuo? You here?"

"I'm right here Daniel." The ancient wolf demon spirit materialized right in front of him. "I see you passed out again?"

Daniel blushed and stared down at the ground. "Well....er....yeah...."

Rikuo sighed. "What's it with you and women? At this rate we're never going to find you a mate."

"I'm not really looking for one at the moment." Daniel brought his eyes up to meet his counterpart's. "What I am interested in is information about the Dark Demon Knights. Who are they and why were you so surprised when Diabu announced that he was one?"

Rikuo took a deep breath and pondered. ("How much information should I actually give him? Telling him too much might be dangerous, while telling him too little...") "I don't know who they are."

Daniel face-fell, but he quickly recovered. "What do you mean!? You just..."

"I don't feel like divulging that information at the moment. Bye." Just like that, Rikuo faded away.

Daniel stared at the space where his counterpart had been moments ago. ("Did he just blow me off?") "Rikuo, you jerk, get back here right now!!!"

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Diabu drew and a deep laugh rumbled out of his chest. "I love this. You're coming apart on me. Soon, there won't be anything left of you. End turn."

Allon drew and his mind quivered in pain as the Nightmare Wheel burned another hole into his thoughts. The phantom hands of appeared once more and grabbed both of the remaining cards that he was holding. "End..."

Allon- 4000

Diabu- 1500

Diabu drew. "Alright, I'm getting bored now. Lord of the Art, attack his drained Gear Golem!" The demon launched across the field and in one claw slash, the metal monster was no more.

Allon- 2500

Diabu- 1500

Allon let out one strangled cry of pain, and then his mind shut down.

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Deondre felt it. He felt Allon's fall. ("Damn you Rikuo. Why'd you let him do it?")

The darkness sphere pulsed rapidly. Within it, the game was coming to a close.

And Deondre could do nothing but watch. ("Come on Allon. You're better than this. Don't lose to some sad excuse of a demon.")

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Diabu discarded a card into his graveyard so that his hand size was six cards again. "End turn."

Allon twitched a couple of times, but otherwise made no move to draw his card.

"It's just as I thought. You're nothing, human. Oh well, you put up something of a good fight." Diabu watched as the darkness flowed from out of the sphere and began to wrap around Allon's body.

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_Allon sighed and dropped his hand of cards to the ground. "What's the point!? No matter how hard I try, I just can't figure out when to play what cards!"_

_Daniel picked up the dropped cards and smiled. "Ah, I see what your problem is. You're looking at this in all the wrong ways." Taking each of the cards, he placed them side by side on the table. "You can't look at each of these cards in separate. I always think that it is best to look at each card as part of a puzzle."_

Allon came to his feet, his eyes covered by the shadows of the darkness around him.

Diabu sighed and crossed his thin arms across his chest. "A stubborn one, hmmm? How pitiful. Just give up."

Allon's eyes lifted out of the shadow. "No. I see now. The answer has been sitting in front of me. You've lost." His eyes were glimmering in the darkness. "It's so clear to me now. Reveal face-down cards!" Three of Allon's face-down cards flipped up at once.

"First I reveal my two Dark Factory of Mass Production magic cards! These will allow me to pick up two normal monsters from my graveyard apiece and place them into my hand." His graveyard slot shuddered and spat out four cards, which he picked up. "And my final card spells the end for you Diabu! Activate Compulsory Evacuation Device!"

The pain demon let out a wheezing breath from his lipless face. "What's that supposed to do? Sending a monster back into my hand won't be enough."

"Who ever said that I was sending one of your monsters back to your hand? I'm using my trap to send one of my monsters back to my hand! Namely, I'm targeting my face-down monster card!" The face-down card faded away as he grabbed it off of his duel disk. "Maybe you shouldn't have toyed with me so much? I've just won this duel." He pulled the monsters off of his duel disk and slid them into his graveyard.

Diabu slid backwards a couple of feet. "You couldn't have...how?"

Allon took the five cards in his hand and slid them across his duel disk top, each one sliding into a monster zone. "That's right!!! I've collected the necessary pieces of the puzzle!" Behind him, a faint blue outline of a pentagram appeared. The outline grew brighter and brighter, until it began to purge the darkness. "Demon or not, you can't stand against the power of this monster. I summon Exodia the Forbidden One!"

A pair of huge golden arms shot out of the pentagram, followed by a pair of huge golden legs. And then a golden torso followed them. The final product looked like an ancient god, the broken chains around its wrists showing that it was free.

Diabu hissed in anger. "You little...."

Allon wasn't listening anymore. "Exodia..." The god placed his palms together, and they began to glow brightly, forming a huge ball of golden light. It got brighter and brighter, until the light from it threatened to engulf everything. "...OBLITERATE!!!" Silently, Exodia pushed the ball forward. It shuddered and then turned into a beam of energy that swallowed up Diabu.

Allon- 4000

Diabu- Exodia Loss

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The darkness sphere shuddered and then faded away, revealing both Allon and Diabu.

Rikuo felt the sphere collapsing and immediately took over for Daniel. He snickered over at Diabu. "Lost to a human? You're not a Dark Demon Knight." Cracking his knuckles, the wolf demon approached the kneeling pain demon slowly. "Get ready for death."

Allon stepped between the two. "No. He lost to me, and I promised that if he did lose, his only punishment would be that he would leave. Honor that promise."

Rikuo scowled and twisted his head to the side. "Fine. I suggest that he leaves right now though."

Diabu stood up and growled at Allon. "This changes nothing between us, human. Now I have you in my sights, and by the time I am done, you'll be dead." The lights above the arena flickered, plunging the room into one seconds worth of darkness. When the darkness cleared, Diabu was gone.

Rikuo growled at Allon warningly, and held out his hand. "If you ever touch my duel disk again, you'll lose your hand."

The red-haired boy removed his deck and the duel disk, which he handed to the wolf demon. "Thank you for the deck, by the way."

"Keh! Like I'd ever want to use as cowardly of a method as Exodia." Rikuo turned and walked over to Deondre. "Now where's the ape-horse?" His ears twitched and he ducked under a lazy punch that was aimed for his head. "Ah, there you are."

CJ sighed. "What's it going to take to get your respect?"

"Kill me," Rikuo replied evenly. "And no, Sestros didn't count."

"Whatever. For your information, while you guys were playing I got the card." He flicked the brown-backed piece of cardboard to the wolf demon, which caught it casually and held it in front of his face.

"The Key of Helomtes." He scowled at the card. Its picture depicted a sickly key made of muscle tissue. "Helomtes...." Pocketing the card, he casually turned and walked past CJ and Deondre. "Let's go. We've got four more of these damned things to find."

Deondre removed his hand from his stomach to find not even a scar from where he had been pierced. "That guy...jeeze."

CJ nodded. "He's such an inconsiderate..."

Amy crossed her arms across her chest. "He needs to work on his public image. Team Topdeck can't afford to have its leader acting like such a jerk." She didn't hear the sighs from CJ and Deondre off to her side.

Looking down at the Exodia cards that he had fanned out in front of him, Allon thought, ("He's not so bad.")

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_The boy curled his legs deeper into his chest, tears streaming down his face. ("Leave me alone...I don't want you in me.")_

_**("It's a bit late for that. You've called me here and I'm not leaving.")** The prescense extended its will forward, wrapping mental claws around the boy's mind._

_Screams echoed out in the night....and then they were followed by another bout of insane laughter...._

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The next target; The Key of Incestros

Author's Notes: To Darkstar71-Thank you for your offer. I already know what will happen though. However, I would like it if you could somehow send me the actual episodes. I feel deprived for knowing what to expect, but not actually seeing it.

By the way, a big thanks to all of my supporters and reviewers. You guys are by far the coolest people I have ever met. Later.


	8. The next target The Key of Incestros

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 8: The next target; the Key of Incestros

("So they have the first key? That's exactly what I was hoping. I'll let the General and his little club do my work for me.") Seren took a sip of his water and looked out at the expanse of sky before him.

Oh, how he longed to spread his wings and fly once more. ("But of course, that would bring undue attention to me. Soon though, the entire world will be changed. And then that won't be a problem, will it?")

"Computer, what is the location of Rikuo Amero?" The computer screen in front of him flickered a few times and came to a picture of a world map. A red dot was marked over London, England. ("Ah, he's after the Key of Incestros now? I'll have to make sure that he has the proper welcome.") Reaching into his pocket, the crane demon removed his cell phone and flipped it open.

Tapping a number on speed-dial, Seren waited a few seconds and then said, "They're coming to you. Make sure they don't get the card without a fight."

A calm voice whispered something on the other end of the line. "Oh? She's there? Well then kill her if she interferes, but otherwise I will not see her harmed. We don't know whose side she is on yet." Clicking the phone closed, Seren looked back out the window.

_**("It's not too late to change your course. Please, stop this madness.")**_

("Silence! I will not listen to your pitiful whining.") His lips twisted into a scowl. ("Now be quiet or I'll make you regret talking.")

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Rikuo sighed and stared out at the dark sky from his seat. After their recovery of the Key of Helomtes, Pegasus had them on one of his private jets within that same hour. They were headed for London to retrieve the next card, the Key of Incestros. ("Why did Pegasus give those names to cards?")

_("What's so special about the names?")_

The ancient wolf demon frowned. ("Don't listen in on my thoughts!")

_("You do it to me all the time!")_

("Because I'm better than you are! I'm allowed to!")

_("Says who!?")_

"Says me!!" Rikuo leapt up out of his seat and slammed his head into the overhead compartment. "Damn it!"

Ryu looked over at his friend and rolled his eyes. "Why don't you stop arguing with Daniel? It's not like you can do anything to him."

"Like hell I can't!" Rikuo sat back down and closed his eyes. He instantly went slack and collapsed to one side.

Ryu groaned and put his head in his hands. ("Why did I even offer to come along?")

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"I win again, CJ." Allon smirked and fanned out his new favorite set of cards. "Once again, you are obliterated by Exodia."

CJ slid out of his seat. "I'm going to the bathroom, you play him D."

Deondre was about to shuffle his deck and get into CJ's seat, when a smell hit his nose. Tilting his head to the side, he slid out of his seat and went up to the front of the plane. "I know that smell..."

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Within the confines of his mind, Daniel ran around another corridor, barely dodging a sword slash from Rikuo. "Calm down, you psychopath!"

"Never!" Rikuo slashed again, barely missing his lighter half by a few inches. "I'll teach you to question me!"

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Opening the door to the pilot's cabin, Deondre pointed at the man flying the plane. "Aha! I knew I smelled you, Janeam!"

Janeam tapped a button on the console of the plane and let go of the controls. Spinning around in his chair, he smiled calmly and tipped his captain's hat to his friend. "Hey there D."

Deondre blinked at the casual greeting. "Um...how...why are you flying the plane?"

The tall black-skinned man smirked and fell back in his chair. "Surprised? Where do you think I went for all of those long amounts of time during school?"

"You were working for Pegasus?" Deondre laughed. "Why would he hire you?"

"Because I taught Daniel and you the basics of the game. Considering that both of you took on two of the best duelists in the world and walked away either a winner or the same, that's a pretty impressive resume." He rubbed his index finger under his nose. "Technically, that makes me the best duelist on this plane."

A few seconds passed in silence, and then Deondre walked out of the pilot's cabin. "You never taught me anything."

Janeam followed him out seconds later, yelling, "Of course I did! If it wasn't for me, you would never have been able to beat Seto Kaiba in the Shadow Tournament!"

At that moment, CJ came out of the bathroom. "What's all the.....Janeam? What are you doing here?"

"He's here to steal my glory," muttered Deondre as he stomped past CJ.

Janeam rolled his eyes and went back into the pilot's cabin. "Of course not. I'm here to make sure you guys don't screw up in your mission." ("Plus score some rare cards off of Pegasus. He's one of the best guys to work for if you are a duelist.")

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When the plane landed, it was about noon in London.

And Daniel was exhausted. ("Six hours, you were chasing me around my mind with that sword of yours. I hate you.")

_("MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I've still got that evil touch!")_

("...........You're supposed to be a good guy!!!")

_("So says you, fool. I, however, understand the truth. I am the evil demon general Rikuo Amero, terror of Japan!! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!")_

("Noooo.....you're Rikuo Amero, the sleep-deprived Yami of Daniel Pilkington. And now I think it is time for you to take a nap.")

_("...............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........")_

Daniel sighed and looked over at CJ, who sitting across from him in the cab they were taking. "So the data says that it's somewhere in London, but it doesn't give us a location? That's ridiculous. How are we supposed to find it?"

CJ shrugged and continued to read from his newspaper. "Wow, it looks like England is getting its ass handed to it."

"Excuse me?"

He held the front of the newspaper up. "See. They've had a string of crazy murders, and somebody jacked the Crown Jewels from right under the noses of the guards who were watching it. It's a bad day to be a Brit."

Daniel frowned at the two pictures on the front of the paper. The first was of a shadowy form that was running off into the night, with a dead body in its wake. The second was of a retreating form of someone who was giving a victory symbol to the security camera. The odd part about the picture was that the culprit had...fox ears? ("Jasmine Reiner...")

_(".........zzzzzzzzz.........")_

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"_They're coming to you. Make sure they don't get the card without a fight." _

He smirked and nodded to the air, eyes sweeping over the many different pieces of human flesh that hung on his wall. ("They won't be getting the card at all. Now though, who will I go after first? Attacking Pilkington would most certainly invite the wrath of the General, and I for one am not feeling suicidal. The other two, the Andersons, are in a similar position. Because of their demon blood, they might just cause me some problems if I attempt to attack them. The same applies to Ryu.")

He rubbed his chin with one pale hand, and then brought his attention down to the rusted knife on his desk. ("The human boy who is with them....Diabu has made his claim on his life.") "That leaves the other human." Picking up the knife, he pulled out a picture of Janeam that had been taken from the Centennial High School year book. "So be it."

He slammed the knife through the picture, tearing it instantly in half. "Prepare yourself human, because you've become the target of Reaper." A pair of dark eyes looked at the setting sun from the window of the small room. "And Reaper never fails when he chooses his victims."

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Foxes and Fear

Author's Notes: Sorry for the short chapter folks. It's time for my midterm studying. I'll make it up to you tommorrow. Bye.


	9. Foxes and Fear

Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 97: Foxes and Fear

_Daniel frowned at the two pictures on the front of the paper. The first was of a shadowy form that was running off into the night, with a dead body in its wake. The second was of a retreating form of someone who was giving a victory symbol to the security camera. The odd part about the picture was that the culprit had...fox ears? ("Jasmine Reiner...")_

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_He slammed the knife through the picture, tearing it instantly in half. "Prepare yourself human, because you've become the target of Reaper." A pair of dark eyes looked at the setting sun from the window of the small room. "And Reaper never fails when he chooses his victims."_

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Janeam yawned and stuck his hands into his pockets to keep warm. The cold of the wind was getting to him. ("That's what I get for not packing a coat.")

The team's plan had been fairly simple. Everyone would split up and try to locate the strongbox that contained the card. Whoever found it would contact the others, and then once they had the card, it was off to the next location.

("There's only one downside to that plan,") Janeam thought sourly. ("We're running on a time limit. We need to get those cards within the next three days or else it won't matter what we accomplish, because Seren will have won.")

Unfortunately, Janeam didn't even have a clue where he was at the moment. ("I think I'm somewhere near the airport......maybe.") Turning another corner, he sighed at how dark it was getting. Even the street lamps seemed to be malfunctioning. Because of how dark it was the street Janeam was now walking down looked like it was straight out of a horror movie. ("I'm just missing the crazy knife-wielding psychopath.")

A scream pierced the night air, sending all of the hairs on the back of Janeam's neck standing up. ("Speak of the devil.") He picked up into a run, charging towards the location of the scream.

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"Please...leave me alone..." The woman stumbled backwards, away from the shadowed form the stood across from her in the middle of the street.

The shadowed figure laughed calmly. "I must apologize, but you're not important enough for me to care." His right hand plunged into the darkness and from out of thin air emerged a huge-headed scythe. "Now do me a favor and scream nice and loud, little human." Tossing back his cloak, Reaper struck.

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Janeam arrived to find a trail of blood leading from the middle of the cobble-stone street into a nearby alley. ("Crap.") Every instinct in his body told him to run, but he knew that wasn't an option. Taking a deep breath, he entered the alley.

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Jasmine grinned at the guard who charged towards her. "Come now, do I look that easy to defeat?" She snapped her foot out and caught him right on the chin, straightening his body with the sheer force of the blow.

The other guard was about to draw his gun, but he felt a pinch in the back of his neck. His legs gave out under him, depositing him to the stone floor, unconscious.

Jasmine sheathed the Shadow Knife and smiled. ("These things are so handy. Now...what were these two losers guarding that was so important?") She turned and walked over to the large steel box that was installed into the wall. ("This would take hours to crack.")

She smiled and brushed a lock of her raven black hair behind an ear. ("Luckily, I brought the answer to any lock.") She pulled the Shadow Knife out of its sheath. The jet black weapon pulsed to her touch. With casual ease, she slashed the safe door into numerous little pieces of steel. ("I love this thing.")

The contents of the safe were rather disappointing though. All that was inside was a single Duel Monsters card. Flipping the brown-backed piece of cardboard over, Jasmine sighed. "This stupid thing doesn't even have an effect. It's worthless." Sliding the card into a pocket of her suit, the Kitsune flashed her customary victory sign to the camera that was watching her, and then ran off.

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The alley was quiet. Way too quiet. ("Someone's here with me.") Janeam took another step into the deep darkness of the alley. ("Come out...where ever you are.")

Something dripped on his head...

Janeam looked up, and back-pedaled a few feet, eyes wide. "AHHH!!"

Someone had strung up a headless corpse in the air right above him.

Frantically wiping the blood out of his hair, Janeam almost didn't hear the whistling noise of something being aimed for his head. Luck was with him though, because at the last second, he slipped on a puddle of blood and crashed to his back. Thanks to that little bit of unfortunate luck, he was saved from Reaper's scythe, which shot right past his head.

Reaper cursed quietly as he landed at the other end of the alley. Spinning, his black cloak billowed around his shoulders. "I would compliment you on your skillful dodge, but there was nothing skillful about it." He hefted the huge weapon, the darkness pulsing around him. "This time, I won't miss."

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Jasmine did a perfect triple back flip, landing right outside the courtyard of the building. Turning, she threw a bow to the approaching guards, and ran. ("I love being a thief.")

"Greetings Kitsune wench. It's been a while."

Jasmine skidded to a stop and stared at the person who was in her way. "Rikuo Amero, what a pleasure to see you again." She could hear the approaching guards, and grimaced. "Do you mind if we take this conversation somewhere else? I'd prefer not to be arrested."

Rikuo snorted and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Fine." In a matter of three leaps, they were on top of the two story building next to them. "Better?"

Jasmine blushed slightly at the arm around her waist. Sliding out of his reach, she snapped her head away. "It's just fine. If you ever touch me again though..."

"Keh! What's the matter? I thought you would appreciate the touch of any man." Rikuo snapped his head up haughtily. "Besides, it's not like I would fall for a Kitsune."

A few seconds went by silently, and then Jasmine slid the Shadow Knives out of their sheaths. "I'm about to make sure that you'll be singing a whole new tune. It'll probably be about the same, but a few octaves higher." She smirked and lunged, only to find the two knives in the hands of the demon she had been about to attack. "What the..."

Rikuo casually flicked the knives into the air. "Ever since you so soundly outfought me at the Dark Soul tournament, I have been training myself. I see now that all of my training has been paying off. Which reminds me..." He stepped right in front of her, meeting her crimson eyes with his golden-amber ones.

"What are you.....EEEPP!!?" Jasmine's eyes widened and she looked down at his hand, which was grabbing her chest.

Rikuo's head was snapped to the side from the force of her slap, and then it was moving the other direction as she pounded away at his face.

Anger finally spent, Jasmine growled and flexed her claws. "Now I'm going to gut you, pervert."

Rikuo sighed and flicked up the hand that had grabbed her, showing the brown-backed card that she had placed in her suit pocket. "I already told you that I'm not interested. Later." Slipping the card into the deck holster that was attached to his belt, Rikuo leaped off the roof and out of sight, leaving the Shadow Knives lying at Jasmine's feet.

The Kitsune thief was staring numbly at the spot where Rikuo had been moments before. ("What exactly happened just now?")

_("I think he just made you look like a fool.")_

Jasmine winced. ("You're so caring.")

_("I try my best.")_

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Janeam slid into a slightly more defensive stance. So far, he'd been staring down the crazy guy with a scythe for over ten minutes now. "So...who're you?"

"I am Reaper, the Dark Demon Knight of Death." The black-robed form swept back the scythe, getting ready to charge. "Now prepare to die. I knew it you would come if you heard the woman scream. Trying to play the hero...ha!"

Janeam looked up at the dead corpse, his eyes glowing in the knight. "You...you killed that woman...just to get me here?" The undertone to the question seemed strangely calm.

"Of course I did. It saved me the time of locating you myself, as well as removed another filthy human from these streets." His black hood rippled under a sudden breeze that picked up. "That's all your kind is to a demon. A vermin. Something that is worthy of only death."

Janeam cracked his knuckles. "You sick bastard. I'll get you for this. We're going to settle whatever grudge you may have with me on the dueling field, are we clear!?"

Reaper seemed taken aback that his prey was challenging him. "Very well, human." The scythe he was holding faded away, becoming replaced by a duel disk made of human bone. The sickly device clicked into place with a horrible snapping noise. "Let's begin then."

Janeam slid his backpack off of his shoulder, and then he removed his duel disk. Attaching the device to his arm, he tossed his backpack aside and clicked the disk into place. "Let's duel."

Reaper drew his five and then his sixth. "First turn honors are mine, considering I am of the superior race."

"Whatever you say, freak show." Janeam's eyes reflected just how serious he took this situation. ("He killed that woman, just to find me. Well I'm going to kill him.")

The shadow-covered form of Reaper pulled two cards out of his hand and slid them into his disk. In front of him, the two cards appeared in the alley. "I set these two cards face-down. Then I summon Executioner Makyura (1600/1200) in attack mode." A demon wearing bladed armor appeared on his field. "End turn."

"My turn. Draw!" Janeam drew...

"Reveal face-down trap card, Disturbance Strategy!" One of Reaper's two face-down cards flipped up. "Now shuffle your hand back into your deck and draw a new hand equal to the number of cards you shuffled in."

Janeam popped his deck free and shuffled his hand into his deck. "Did you expect that to hurt me at all? I didn't have that good of a hand anyway." He inserted his deck back into his disk and drew six new cards. After glancing at them, he smiled. "I can do some damage with these."

"You won't get that chance. Reveal my other face-down trap card, Null and Void!" Reaper's other face-down card flipped up. "This activates whenever you or I draw cards from a card effect. It forces the person who drew to discard the cards they got."

Janeam paled visibly at what that meant. ("I have to discard my entire hand.") Regretfully, he inserted the cards into his graveyard slot. "End turn."

Reaper drew. "That's exactly what you are to me. You're nothing. I can beat you with almost no effort at all." He slapped down a new card. "I summon Death Kaiser (1800/1000) in attack mode." A demon in a suit of bone armor appeared on the field and silently lifted its sword. "Makyura and Death Kaiser, attack the human's life points directly!" The two monsters launched across the field and slammed their weapons down on Janeam's body, sending him to his knees.

Janeam- 4600

Reaper- 8000

"Now I set two cards face-down. End turn." Reaper sounded relaxed, because he knew that he had this battle won already.

Janeam climbed back to his feet and grabbed the top card of his deck. "I'm not out yet! Draw!" He drew....

Reaper tapped a button on his duel disk. One of his face-down cards flipped up. "I reveal Drop Off! Now you must discard the card that you just drew."

Janeam cursed under his breath and slid the card into his graveyard slot. ("I'm not even getting a chance to fight back.") "End turn."

Reaper drew and slid the two cards in his hand into his duel disk. "I set two cards face-down. Now attack his life points directly!" The two monsters launched across the field and slammed their respective weapons down on Janeam, sending him to his knees once again.

Janeam- 1200

Reaper- 8000

"Understand yet, human? You cannot win in this duel. I am your better." Reaper remained silent for a few seconds, just to let the gravity of his words sink in. "End turn."

Janeam looked down at his deck, and then up at the corpse that hung above him like a reminder of why he had to win. ("Alright, I know that I can win this. This is the draw that will save me.") "Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and slid it into his disk. "Activate Swords of Revealing Light!" Green glowing swords of light slammed down on Reaper's field, blocking off all of the demon's monsters and illuminating the area. "This magic card will stop you from attacking for three turns, and that should buy me the time to draw a card that can stop you. End turn."

Reaper drew and calmly played his next card. "You're simply stalling. It won't be enough to stop me. I summon Protector of the Sanctuary (1100/1900) in defense mode." A little temple appeared on his field, with a neon outline of a creature protecting it. "End turn."

"Draw!" Janeam drew and grimaced. ("Pot of Greed. It's a great draw normally, but useless as long as Protector of the Sanctuary is on the field.") He slid the card into his duel disk. "I set this face-down and end my turn."

Reaper drew and played his next card. "You can't stop me. I summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast (1500/1200) in attack mode." A hideous creature with a face on each part of its square body appeared on the field. "Human, you should surrender. I've got more than enough card advantage over you to win this duel with ease. End turn."

Janeam wouldn't let himself get discouraged. ("I still have two turns remaining.") "Draw!" He grasped the next card and pulled it off the top. When he looked at it though, he frowned. ("Graceful Charity. It'd be great, if not for that damned Protector of the Sanctuary on the field.") "I set this card face-down and end my turn." The card appeared in front of him.

Though his features were still hidden, Reaper could almost be said to be smiling. "You're finished." He drew and slid his Death Kaiser and Melchid into the graveyard. "I sacrifice these two monsters to summon Masked Beast-Des Guardies!" (3300/3200) The two monsters were consumed in a sudden explosion of black smoke. When the smoke cleared, an enormous three-faced demon was on Reaper's field. The Masked Beast howled and slammed its claws into the Swords of Revealing Light, causing the magical blades to shudder under the force of its blow.

Reaper drew two cards from his deck. "Also, the special ability of Death Kaiser activates. When I sacrifice it, I may draw two cards from my deck." He lifted a hand up, revealing white bone instead of muscle. "This is your last chance. Can you turn this around? End turn."

Janeam clenched his fist. "Before we continue...let me tell you something." He mirrored Reaper's action, lifting his hand and pointing a finger at the demon. "You will not get away with this! Demon or not, you can't just kill people! It's wrong!!!"

Reaper shrugged nonchalantly at the short speech. "If divine power is on your side, then prove me wrong and defeat me."

Janeam brought his fist up to in front of his face, clenching it tightly again. "Oh I will! My turn! DRAW!"

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Death's dark door

Author's Notes: To GryphinWyrm7-Too many questions! AHHH!!!!

Alright, let's get answering. Actually, I didn't even intend to send them to England. I read your story, then forgot the location they were going to. After staring at my screen for a few minutes, I said, "I know! I'll make the next location London!" A.K.A. I forgot that you sent Daniel to London in your story. Meh, it won't affect the plotline very much.

Next question, Daniel will most likely reference your story, though it won't be that big. ("I have no idea what events will be occurring in your story, so even if something big had happened during his time in London, I really can't foreshadow it.")

Allon, a demon? Perhaps.......MWHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Achmed? We'd find him in Egypt, if anywhere.

Janeam? :: Zips lip:

Also, everyone who is within the sound of my metaphorical voice should go and read this guy's story, War of the Gods. It's a bit strong in the religious material category, but it's definitely worth a read.

To Luna's Meow: You think Team Topdeck is too powerful? I could tone down their decks, if you wanted.


	10. Death's Dark Door

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 10: Death's dark door

_Janeam clenched his fist. "Before we continue...let me tell you something." He mirrored Reaper's action, lifting his hand and pointing a finger at the demon. "You will not get away with this! Demon or not, you can't just kill people! It's wrong!!!"_

_Reaper shrugged nonchalantly at the short speech. "If divine power is on your side, then prove me wrong and defeat me."_

_Janeam brought his fist up to in front of his face, clenching it tightly again. "Oh I will! My turn! DRAW!"_

He grabbed the card off of his deck and slid it into his duel disk. "Activate Change of Heart! This allows me to seize control of one monster on your field for a turn. Now come to me, Protector of the Sanctuary!" A strange hybrid of angel and demon appeared on his field and flew over to the neon outline monster.

It slammed right into the Protector of the Sanctuary, pulling the demon monster over to his field. "Now I can draw cards outside of my draw phase, so reveal face-down cards! Go Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity! This lets me draw two cards and then draw three cards." Janeam drew five cards off of his deck. "As per the effect of Graceful Charity, now I need to discard two cards." Glancing at his new hand, he grasped two cards and slid them into his graveyard. "Alright Reaper, now it's time for you to pay in full! First I activate Share the Pain! Now we both must sacrifice one monster on our field!" The Protector of the Sanctuary exploded into bits of digital dust, and so did Reaper's Executioner Makyura.

After sliding his monster card into the graveyard, Reaper hissed from underneath his black robes. "What are you up to, human? Killing Makyura and Protector of the Sanctuary won't be enough to slow me down."

"Patience is a virtue that you need to learn. Now here we go!" Janeam slid another card into his duel disk. "Activate Grave Sacrifice! This allows me to remove one monster in both of our graveyards from the game instead of sacrificing monsters for a tribute summon! So I sacrifice the Protector of the Sanctuary in my graveyard and the Executioner Makyura is yours!" The two cards were spat out of their respective graveyard slots.

Reaper picked up his Makyura card and placed it somewhere within the folds of his robes. "You're a sad duelist. What can you possibly have that has the power to defeat Des Guardies?"

"I have..." Janeam looked at the card and his eyes widened in surprise. ("What's this thing? A second ago, this was a Labyrinth Maze. (0/4500) Now it's something completely different.") He knew it was too late now. ("I hope you're powerful.") Slapping the card down onto the disk, he raised his hand up to the sky. "Your darkness won't win against this! I summon Fox Demon Mystic-Tibrus!" (2600/1400) The sky was filled with bolts of lightning, one of which slammed down onto his field. As soon as the flashing after-image of the lightning faded away, a new form could be seen within the gloom. Only it wasn't gloom anymore. The entire alleyway had been illuminated by light.

The being that hovered on Janeam's field looked like a humanoid fox wearing the robes of a Shinto priest. Emblazoned on the front of its robes was a glowing Yin and Yang symbol, while in its hands rested a golden staff, the head of which had numerous rings hanging from it. The Fox Mystic bowed to Reaper, who was flinching at the sudden entrance of such bright light.

"Damn you, human scum. How dare you bring a being of such light into my presence! I will crush it with my Masked Beast!" The death demon threw his black robes up across the hooded face, trying to block out the piercing brightness.

Janeam stood tall within the light, feeling its energy wash over him. "All I hear are the cries of a demon that can't stand the power of my monster. Well here's your chance to snuff the light, because I end my turn."

Reaper drew off of his deck, and then lifted one bony hand to point at Tibrus. "Kill that thing, now!!" His Masked Beast-Des Guardies roared and launched across the field, claw arched back to slash the Fox Mystic to ribbons.

Janeam wasn't sure why, but he knew he was safe. "Activate the special ability of my Fox Mystic. Go Magical Ofuda of Revival!" Tibrus nodded and pulled a slip of paper out of its robes, flicking it into the air. "When my monster is summoned to the field, it activates one magic card from either player's graveyard! So go Swords of Revealing Light!" The green swords of light reappeared in between Janeam's field and Reaper's Masked Beast, stopping the three-headed demon cold. "So you're out of luck."

Reaper roared in fury. "You little rat! I'm done playing games with you! I set three cards face-down and end my turn!" The three cards appeared on his field next to his other two.

Janeam looked down at his deck. "Here we go! Draw!" He grasped the card...

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Jasmine looked out at the river from her perch on top of a tall building, feeling absolutely miserable. ("That damned wolf made me look stupid and weak. I'll get him for this...")

She was brought out of her musing by a pulsing at her waist. "Huh?" Looking down, she watched as the Shadow Knives at her waist started to pulse. "What the hell!?!?!?"

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...and didn't even bat an eye at how strange it seemed that these cards were simply appearing in his deck. ("I trust in their power. They will guide me through this.") Sliding the card into his duel disk, he smiled. "I play the Legendary Weapon Card Shadow Whip!" A jet-black leather whip appeared next to the Fox Mystic. "Now whenever my monster deals you life points of damage, I get to draw two cards from the top of my deck."

"You won't be damaging me at all, fool. Des Guardies is too strong for your pitiful Mystic." Reaper motioned with one bony hand to his five face-down cards. "And if you didn't notice, I'm more than safe. Five traps is nothing to scoff at."

"Your traps are of no concern to me, Reaper. I activate the next power of Fox Demon Mystic-Tibrus! Go Soul Infusion!" His graveyard slot whined and spat out a card. "This lets me remove one monster from my graveyard, giving its attack, defense and powers to my creature." He slid the monster card into his duel disk. "I combine my Soul Assassin (1000/1000) with my Fox Demon Mystic! Fuse!" A shroud of white fog fell across the field, concealing both Janeam and Tibrus from view.

Reaper hissed in anger, his hand hovering over his duel disk buttons. ("If he thinks that a sneak attack will work on me, he's dead wrong! My face-down trap cards will wipe out his life points.") "What's the matter human? Have you lost your nerve!?"

"Who are you talking to? I don't see or hear any humans around. All I see are a pair of corpses. One is hanging in the air above me and the other is soon to be standing right in front of me." A voice, cold and calm, echoed out from the mist.

Reaper reached into the remaining patch of darkness at his side, pulling free his scythe and hefting the huge-headed weapon into a striking position. "You're not Janeam. Who are you?"

Relaxed laughter echoed out from the thick shroud of ghostly mist. "Actually, technically I am Janeam. I'm just not the Janeam that you were hoping to try and terrify. First though, allow me to show you my fusion." The mist withdrew enough to reveal Janeam's monster field, where the Fox Mystic was gone. In its place stood a white-clothed humanoid with silver-white fox ears and hair, which went down to his back. "I have created Fox Soul Assassin." (3600/2400) The fox demon bowed. "Now, attack!" The demon snapped the Shadow Whip back and launched across the field.

"Nice try, but you're too stupid! Reveal face-down trap card, Shadow Spell!" The card flipped up, but it refused to activate. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry; did I forget to mention the power of my field magic card?" The voice seemed smug.

"What field magic card are you talking about!? You had no cards in your hand!" Reaper hefted his scythe angrily.

"Where do you think this mist came from? This is my field magic card. It's called Mists of Remembrance. As long as it is in play, you cannot affect any monster on my field with the word Soul in its title with any of your card effects. That means that my monster is out of reach. Shadow whiplash!" The Fox Soul Assassin snapped its whip in an arch, cutting the Masked Beast-Des Guardies apart. "And in case you were wondering, my Mists of Remembrance come into play with my Fox Soul Assassin."

Janeam- 1200

Reaper- 7700

Reaper grimaced at his deck. The special ability of Masked Beast-Des Guardies would allow him to attach the magic card Mask of Atrocities to his opponent's monster. ("But his field magic card would negate the effect, so it would be pointless. But then again...") "I reveal my face-down trap card, Jar of Greed! This lets me draw one card from my deck!" He took the new card and slid it into his graveyard. "Now I reveal Rope of Life! At the cost of discarding my hand, I may revive my Masked Beast with 800 extra attack points!" A rope appeared in the air before him, extending down into the mist. It pulled upwards and revealed the Masked Beast-Des Guardies, completely unharmed and fully recharged. (4100/3200)

The voice went silent from within the mist. "Hmmm....fair enough...as per the effect of Shadow Whip, I may draw two cards from my deck." There was a few more seconds of silence. "Then I set two cards face-down, end turn."

Reaper drew. "Now I'll destroy you! Reveal Royal Decree, which means that no one can play traps now. Masked Beast-Des Guardies, attack!" The three-headed demon roared and lunged into the mists. It came back out a few seconds later, confused and dazed.

The voice chuckled. "Ah yes, of course. Well, by activating the special ability of my Fox Soul Assassin, I'm completely safe. At the cost of 1000 life points, I can negate all attacks this turn."

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 7700

Reaper slid his new card into his duel disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn. Now do your worst, human."

"Draw..." Laughter, quiet and refined, filtered out of the ghostly shroud of mist. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon on your Royal Decree." The mist leapt outwards like a living thing, consuming the trap instantly. "End turn."

Reaper drew and pointed into the white mass. "Masked Beast-Des Guardies, attack!" The demon howled and charged towards the mist. Halfway there though, something exploded out of the ground and embraced the demon.

"You've triggered my trap card, Blood Seed. When activated, your monster will become the prey of a certain plant monster of my own, named the Blood Seeker." (0/0) "As long as it is attached to your creature, your beast will lose 1000 attack points each turn, and those points will be given to my Blood Seeker." The mist moved away enough to show the Blood Seeker, which was a hideous blood red plant with its leaves wrapped around the body of the Masked Beast-Des Guardies. "So, now what will you do, Reaper? Can you defeat my death plants?"

The death demon hissed in anger. "You think that your trap monster frightens me!? Think again, reveal Remove Trap!" His face-down card flipped face-up and launched across the field, only to stopped halfway there and torn apart by another shadowed form. "Now what!?"

Hovering near the top of the field, there was a giant creature that looked like a huge Venus Fly-Trap. The voice seemed to snicker as it said, "That would be my other trap plant monster, Magic Venus." (0/0) "As long as it is on the field, it will destroy the first magic card played each turn, regardless of whose it is."

Reaper knew he was out-classed now. ("However...I'm not done yet.") "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"I draw...And my Blood Seeker is fed some of the life of your Masked Beast-Des Guardies." The giant red plant shuddered and grew in size, while the Masked Beast shriveled slightly. (1000/1000) (2300/2200)

"Now it's time to feed my plant. I play the magic card Monster Reborn." The Magic Venus howled and grew in size as it negated and absorbed the power of the magic card. (1000/1000) "End turn."

Reaper drew. "I'll destroy you and your plants. I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"That was a big mistake, fool. You should have fed my plant. Now it will make you pay for your cruelty. Attack his life points directly!" The giant Magic Venus screeched and launched down, taking a bite out of Reaper.

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 6700

As the giant plant withdrew, the voice laughed from within the mist. "Do you see what happens to those who don't feed the Magic Venus? It gets pissed and takes a nice hunk out of them. Draw! Now I play Soul Release, giving its magic to my plant. Now grow, my Magic Venus!" (2000/2000)

"Then my Blood Seeker drains the life out of your Masked Beast-Des Guardies!" (2000/2000) (1300/1200) "And now I'll wipe out your life points. Blood Seeker, attack your surrogate mother, Blood Chomp!" The plant roared and squeezed tightly, its teeth now cutting instead of leaching. With a single cracking bite, the Masked Beast-Des Guardies was gone.

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 6000

Reaper cackled. "Perhaps that is true, but it means nothing! Come to me, Mask of Atrocities!" His deck spat out a blob of darkness that flew across the field and slapped onto the 'face' of the Magic Venus. When the blob faded, a hideous mask was left on the face of the creature. "Now your beast will obey me!" The Magic Venus slid across the field and turned to growl at the white mist.

Laughter echoed out of the mist. "End turn."

Reaper drew. "I..." The Magic Venus howled and chomped down on the Mask of Atrocities, treating it as the magic card tribute for this turn. (3000/3000) With the mask gone though, the Magic Venus slid back over to Janeam's field. "Damn...." ("All I have left is my face-down card and...")

He looked at the card he had drawn. "I've got you now. I flip up my magic card, Grave Sacrifice! Now I remove your Fox Demon Mystic and my Masked Beast-Des Guardies from the graveyard to fulfill the sacrifice requirements needed for my ritual magic card, Card Reaper's Resurrection!" A black cloud filled the air around him. "You may have your plants, but they cannot defeat this beast! Nothing can!" The cloud withdrew, revealing a black-cloaked figure that looked exactly like Reaper. "Unholy Master of Death (4000/4000) in attack mode! Attack Blood Seeker!" The reaper lifted up a scythe that had appeared out of nowhere. It lunged across the field and slashed the red plant monster apart. "Your life points are gone!"

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The Phantom Thief and his children

Author's Notes: So who would you like to see in the next duel? Other than that, I really don't have much to say. Later.


	11. The Phantom Thief and his children

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 11: The Phantom Thief and his children

_He looked at the card he had drawn. "I've got you now. I flip up my magic card, Grave Sacrifice! Now I remove your Fox Demon Mystic and my Masked Beast-Des Guardies from the graveyard to fulfill the sacrifice requirements needed for my ritual magic card, Card Reaper's Resurrection!" A black cloud filled the air around him. "You may have your plants, but they cannot defeat this beast! Nothing can!" The cloud withdrew, revealing a black-cloaked figure that looked exactly like Reaper. "Unholy Master of Death (4000/4000) in attack mode! Attack Blood Seeker!" The reaper lifted up a scythe that had appeared out of nowhere. It lunged across the field and slashed the red plant monster apart. "Your life points are gone!"_

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 4000

Reaper couldn't believe it. "How are you still alive!? Why did my life points go down!?"

"Because the life force you attacked wasn't mine. It was your own. Or have you forgotten where my Blood Seeker got its life from?" The voice sounded smugger than ever. "Since it possessed the life of your monster, you lose the life points that I would have. Is there anything else you'd like to do to hurt yourself, or can I do my job as your opponent?"

Reaper cackled. "You're a fool. Soon you will be done in by your own creature. If you don't draw a magic card, then your Magic Venus will finish you off. Even if you do, it will still take your card for that turn. That means that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. So I end my turn. Now let's see your end."

"I trust that fate has decreed this duel as mine, so be silent. Draw!" The mist surged up and around the hidden figure. "Now I sacrifice this magic card, Repayment for Losses!" The Magic Venus howled in delight as it absorbed the energy of the magic card. (4000/4000) "And thanks to the effect of Repayment of Losses, I get to draw one card despite the negation effect. I set the card I draw face-down. Now, Magic Venus, suicide yourself into the Unholy Master of Death!" The huge Venus Fly-Trap screeched and launched across the field.

"Master of Death, counter-attack!" The reaper launched across the field, colliding into the plant monster. There was an earth-shaking explosion, and then when the smoke from it cleared, the Master of Death emerged unharmed. "Perhaps you should have paid attention. My creature is strong, but its special ability it better. It cannot be killed in battle, so you just lost your monster for nothing."

"End...turn..." The voice didn't sound angry. It sounded curious.

Reaper drew. "This duel is nearing its end. You forgot to switch your Fox Soul Assassin to defense mode. Activate magic card, Demonic Hordes of Destruction! This will crush your Mists of Remembrance in one blast!" The ground at Reaper's feet exploded into a wave of black smoke that swept over the white mist. When it cleared, the mist was gone, and the mysterious voice was pinpointed.

Standing where Janeam had been shortly before, there was now a tall, white-skinned fox demon in humanoid form. He actually looked a lot like the Fox Soul Assassin, which stood on his field. The big difference between him and his monster was the clothing that they wore. Unlike his duel monster counterpart, he wore the same t-shirt and pants as Janeam. Brushing back his silver-white bangs, the fox demon smiled. "So you wish to duel me face to face. Fine."

Reaper pointed at the Fox Soul Assassin. "Crush his monster, now!" The Master of Death shot across the field and raised its scythe to cut down the fox demon Duel Monster.

The being that had taken Janeam's place had other plans though. "Reveal face-down trap card, Mists of Remembrance! This will stop all damage this turn and reactivate the effect of the original Mists of Remembrance field magic card." In a flash of white mist, he was gone again.

Reaper was getting tired of being thwarted by these tricks. "I set another monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Draw! Now I'll take this duel and turn it around. Activate Whip of Roses! This will raise the attack points of my Fox Soul Assassin by 500 points!" (4100/2400) "Now attack his Master of Death!" The demon leapt across the field and slammed its whip across the face of the undead creature on Reaper's field.

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 3900

"And as per the effect of the Shadow Whip Legendary Weapon Card, I may draw two cards from my deck. I'll set one of those cards in defense mode, and then the other card will be set face-down. End turn."

Reaper drew and cackled in delight. "I'll wipe your monster out with this, Reaper's Hell Scythe! This will increase my monsters attack power by 1000 points." The Unholy Master of Death lifted its huge scythe, the weapon now wreathed in black fire. (5000/4000) "Attack the Fox Soul Assassin, now!" The demon howled and launched across the field, only to slam into a pulsing barrier of light.

"You've triggered my trap card, Attack Fusion Barrier. This will switch the attack points of our two monsters for one turn." The Fox Soul Assassin leapt out of the mist and slammed the butt of its whip across the face of the Master of Death, sending it flying back to its owner's field.

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 3000

"And as always, I get to draw two cards when my Shadow Whip wielding monster deals you damage."

Reaper growled and hefted his real scythe. "End turn."

"Draw. I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Reaper drew. "I play the magic card, Burning Desire. Now you must activate every set card on your field at once. So let's see what you had in mind for me."

From within the mist, a quietly muttered curse could be heard. "Very well, I activate and use up my two set Blood Seed trap cards, and my Magic Venus trap cards. Since I cannot chain to your Burning Desire, I must watch as my only hope of winning is destroyed..." A laugh was heard from within the mist. "Oh wait, my last trap card is Seeds of Fury, which is a plant trap card you cannot stop with your magic card. Now I'll summon a monster to the field that you cannot interfere with. Awaken, Fury Ivy!" (0/0) A huge mass of blood-red vines exploded from the mist, creating a wall of foliage between Reaper and Janeam. "As long as this trap remains in play, you must attack it each turn with your monsters. So come and get it, fool!" The Master of Death roared and lunged into the mass of vines, hacking away rapidly. Everywhere that its flaming scythe touched, the material almost instantly reformed though. "Of course, the special ability of my Fury Ivy makes it impossible to kill. And since it gains 1000 attack points every time it is attacked, it makes for a very hard to kill weed, wouldn't you agree?" (1000/0)

Reaper knew he was in trouble now. Despite his monster's invincibility, that didn't mean it could withstand this kind of creature for long. "End turn."

"Draw!" That same cold and refined laughter echoed out of the mist. "Now let's end this, for I grow tired of your ugly face. Activate magic card, Nature's Revenge! This will raise the attack power of my Fury Ivy by 1000 points times the number of trap plants I remove from my graveyard. I am removing five monsters, which will increase the attack power of my Fury Ivy by 5000 points!" (6000/0) The mass of blood-red vines shuddered and increased in size, until it filled the entire alleyway. "Now I switch my Fury Ivy to attack mode. Attack his Master of Death!" The vines launched forwards and pummeled the reaper monster mercilessly, though as per its effect, it did not die.

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 2000

Reaper hissed in annoyance. "The moment I draw a card to get around your Fury Ivy, I'll kill you Fox Soul Assassin and wipe out your life points. Why are you wasting both of our time with meaningless attacks?"

"Who ever said that my attacks were meaningless? My plan is quite simple, actually. You see, I'm going to switch my Fox Soul Assassin to defense mode. Now, if you dare attack it, you'll be setting yourself for another loss of life points. End turn."

Reaper drew. ("He's correct. I'll take 1000 life points of damage from that damned plant if I leave my Unholy Master of Death in attack mode.") "So be it. I switch my monster from attack to defense mode. Then I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Draw! And now it's over. You actually should have attacked, because now I'm going to wipe you out. Remember when I set a monster in face-down defense mode?" As if on cue, the mist began to churn as something started to stir. "Well the creature I set down is done. Its name is Spore Pod (500/500) and its special ability is about to give you a lot of head pains. Now all of your monsters will be infected with its spores!" The mist was blown aside as a cloud of green matter floated onto Reaper's field. "It will infect all of your creatures, and not only will they be forced into attack mode, but they will immediately be attacked by all plant monsters on my field." The Fury Ivy rustled in agitation as it sensed the spores all over the body of the Unholy Master of Death. Giving off a strange noise that sounded like a howl mixed with crunching leaves, it unleashed a spray of vines that pummeled the undead monster again.

Janeam- 200

Reaper- 1000

The mist withdrew to reveal the fox demon who had been dueling for Janeam. "Now die. I play the magic card Thorn Storm. Using it, I may pay half of my life points to sacrifice one plant monster on my field. Then I'll deal its attack in damage to your life points. So good-bye. Fury Ivy, become my sacrifice!" The mass of vines exploded into a wave of needles that covered Reaper.

Janeam- 100

Reaper- 0

Reaper growled in anger. "Very well, you have won. I suppose that means I will leave now, though I will return. Tell me one thing though...who are you?"

The fox demon brushed back his silver-white hair and smiled calmly. "I am Esmin, the thief of the full moon. And we will meet again, Reaper. Now begone!"

The death demon spun around and leapt into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Esmin removed his graveyard from his duel disk and shuffled it with his deck. Right before he put the deck back, he looked through the cards and found the one he was looking for. ("Fox Demon Mystic-Tibrus.") "You won't be needed anymore." The card shimmered and morphed, the picture changing into something else. ("Besides, now that I am alive again, there can only be one me.") He slid the card back into his deck and the duel disk collapsed back into its original position. "Now though, I have places to be."

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Rikuo yawned and looked out the window of the plane seat. ("Where are the rest of them? Daniel told them all that I had the card, so where are they?") He lay back in the comfy seat and started to slide into sleep.

"BOO!" Someone yelled right into his ear.

"HOLY HELL!" Rikuo launched out of his seat, slamming the top of his head against the overhead compartment. The force of the blow rebounded him back into his seat, and then whoever had yelled grabbed one of his ears and yelled right into it.

Jasmine smiled at the sight of Rikuo repeating his jumping up action, and once again slamming his head against the overhead compartment. ("But enough torturing the wolf. Now it's time to discuss business.") "Rikuo..."

Said ancient spirit growled and slid away from his seat to stand up in the aisle. "You again? Why don't you just go away and leave me alone? The Key of Incestros is mine, not yours."

"Actually, I don't care about that stupid card anymore. I have a bit of business that you might be interested in." The Kitsune smiled coyly and crossed her legs. "Now here's the deal...."

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Rikuo vs. Viper; Ryu vs. Siegfried!?

Author's notes: I wanted to thank you all again for being my readers. Also, I was curious about how I am doing so far? So please, give me a report on my progress, good or bad, in your review.


	12. Rikuo vs Viper and Ryu vs Siegfried?

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 11: Rikuo vs. Viper; Ryu vs. Siegfried!?

He'd felt a lot better than he had in a long while. Daniel couldn't explain it, but today felt like it was going to be a great day. As he slipped from the state of sleep to the state of semi-consciousness that can only come from just waking up, Daniel felt surprising relaxed. ("Something good must be happening for me today.") Grinning sleepily, he decided that it would be best if he slept for another few minutes.

Then he felt someone hug his chest...

Daniel's eyes opened slowly, the first thing seen a mass of brown hair. ("Eh?") Moving his eyes to his left, he saw a single brown-furred ear. ("Jasmine!? Doesn't she have black hair though!?") Then his brain registered the fact that this girl was hugging his chest. Daniel's cheeks turned a bright shade of red and all forms of sleepiness that he had felt seconds ago was gone. "Um....excuse....me, miss? Hello?"

She cuddled deeper into his chest, nearly sliding out of her seat and onto his.

In the time since Rikuo's awakening, Daniel had gained a lot of courage, as well as the resistance necessary to deal with most problems that demons could throw at him. However, if there is one trait about him that he had yet to change, it was how uncomfortable he was with members of the opposite sex.

And it was showing now, as his ears began to glow bright red, along with his face. In fact, if it was possible for steam to spray out of his ears, he would be doing so right now. "Umm...ummm....ummm......sc....scus....me.......mis...s....." He started to breathe a little bit more raggedly.

The girl didn't respond, except to finish her slide and wind up right in his lap. Her breath was warm on his neck now and certain parts were pressed against him that didn't help fix just how ridiculously awkward the situation was.

At this point, Daniel had developed a small tic in his right eye and left ear, both of which twitched sporadically while he stared straight ahead, trying to ignore any and all sensations in his body. ("Okay...don't panic. She's asleep...just ask Rikuo to take over and move her...")

She muttered something and then leaned up to kiss him right on the lips.

Daniel let out an odd noise that sounded like steam escaping from a pinpoint, and a computer overloading. His head tilted to one side and he silently passed out.

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Deondre yawned and scratched the back of his head. "So what time is it in Germany?"

Ryu took a sip from his coffee, looking perfectly fine with being up early in the morning. "I'd say about six in the morning. That's where the next key is, and we need to get the damned thing quickly. If we aren't out of Germany by the afternoon, then I doubt any amount of travel is going to help us get those last keys."

CJ walked by wearing a bathrobe and drying his head with a towel. "Do you think we're going to see Siegfried again?"

Deondre smiled and shrugged. "It would be nice, but remember that we are here on business. We need to get that key card."

Ryu rubbed his eyes with a hand. ("I have this feeling that we're going to have a very difficult morning.")

A scream caught all of their attention.

("And so it begins...") Ryu thought sourly.

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Daniel was up the instant he felt the metal tray smack him in the side of the head. "OW! What was...GAH!" The half wolf-demon ducked just in time to avoid a glass bottle that was hurled at his head.

The girl was awake, and apparently she didn't like waking up in the laps of strange boys. "You perverted son of a..." Grabbing the metal tray that she had found, she charged forward and slammed it down on top of Daniel's head, sending the duelist crashing face-first into the ground.

("Rikuo!!! What's going on!?") Daniel threw his hands over his head while she pounded away at his skull with the tray.

_("Not much. I suggest you calm her down though...")_ The ancient wolf demon didn't seem particularly worried that his hikari was about to be beaten to death.

CJ came into the cabin with a smile on his face. "I see the lovebirds are awake."

Deondre slid in past him, grinning too. "Congratulations Daniel, you've finally gotten a girl and already you've made her mad."

Ryu sighed and took another sip of his coffee. ("Rikuo, you're an evil dog.")

("Lovebirds....girl....RIKUO!?!?!?") Daniel was about to go on a rant against his other half, but the next time the tray hit there was enough force behind it to knock him unconscious.

The girl lifted the metal tray up, still intent on pounding the 'pervert' to a pulp. Bringing it down, the last thing she expected was for him to punch right through it.

Rikuo came to his feet, the tray around his arm like a strange bracelet. "That's enough of that. You're Jennie, correct?"

Clenching her fists angrily, Jennie leapt forward and tossed a punch at Rikuo's head.

The raven-haired demon sighed and caught the fist in his palm. With casual effort, he tripped Jennie and deposited her back in her seat. Stepping past her swiftly, he smiled to Ryu. "Good morning Jourgen."

Ryu rolled his eyes. "What's the deal Rikuo? Why was there a crazed woman trying to kill Daniel?"

"I believe I can answer that," Jasmine said, taking over for Jennie. "First, the girl you met was my other half, Jennie Crabtree. Obviously, she was fairly pissed at the fact that she had woken up in the arms of a total stranger."

"However," Rikuo threw in, "Jasmine and I came to an agreement last night. In exchange for her thieving skills and help, I give her Daniel."

The golden-haired dragon demon frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "Give her Daniel?" His eyes widened slightly. "You didn't..."

Rikuo smirked and tapped the side of his skull. ("Wake up!")

_("I'm awake! What are you talking about!? How can you give me away!?")_

Jasmine smirked just as wide, apparently having her own private conversation with her other half.

Clearing his throat, Rikuo motioned to Jasmine. "I'll skip to the chase. Daniel, say hello to Jennie, your fiancée." Both Jasmine and Rikuo flinched as their respective hikari screamed and fainted within their minds.

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Ryu sighed as he walked alongside Rikuo, the two of them having chosen to inspect a town not too far away from the landing zone of the plane. "To help Daniel get over his fear of women, you got him a fiancée?"

Rikuo nodded proudly. "That's right. It's the perfect plan."

"When it comes to strategy, you're a genius. When it comes to other people, you're beyond clueless." Ryu rubbed his eyes and muttered.

"Perhaps I am, but this will...." The wolf demon stopped as a familiar smell hit his nose. "Jourgen, go and check the town for the key card. It looks like we are going to have company."

The dragon demon nodded his face serious. "Alright then, but don't screw up." Turning, Ryu took off quickly, leaving a dust trail in his wake as sped towards the village.

Rikuo clicked his duel disk into place and smiled as a black cloaked form leapt up from the trees along the road and onto the path in front of him. "Another of the Dark Demon Knights, I assume?"

The man pulled back his cloak and smiled, baring his long fangs. "I'm sure you remember me, General."

"How could I forget, Viper? You're a difficult demon to get rid of. This time though, we're going to finish our little rematch." Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk and it clicked into place.

Viper threw his cloak aside and clicked his jet black duel disk into place. "Rikuo Amero, this time you won't beat me. And don't think that Ryu has gotten the better of me either. I have a special surprise waiting for him when he reaches the town. It's a special darkness game, something like what you and I are going to have. Ready?"

Rikuo smirked and drew his opening hand. "Let's get this over with."

Viper drew his hand and then his sixth card. "Sure. Come forth, power of the darkness game!" All around them, a black sphere of energy formed. "Now, let's duel!"

Rikuo- 8000

Viper- 8000

"And I'll start us off on a good note. I play the continuous magic card Snake's Nest!" A black pit appeared on his field. "Every turn, a Snake Token (100/100) will be summoned to my field. And now," The snake demon flicked his hand over his cards, pulling three of them free. "I'll play the magic card Polymerization, which will fuse Gagigio (1850/1000) and Sinister Serpent (300/200) together to form the all-powerful Snake Templar (2000/1500) in attack mode!" A tall humanoid snake in pitch black armor appeared on his field. "End turn."

"I'm looking forward to bringing your end about. Draw!" Rikuo drew and glanced casually at the card. "Heh, quite a nice start. I summon Wolf Demon Soldier (1400/1200) in attack mode!" A soldier wielding a pike appeared on his field.

Viper snickered. "What's that going to do to my monster?"

"Alone it can't defeat you, but in combination with this magic card..." The wolf demon slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "...Shrink! This will cut the attack of your monster in half." The holographic representation of the card released a wave of energy that covered Viper's monster, shrinking it to the size of a large doll. "Wolf Demon Soldier, attack now!" The pike-man flew across the field and ran the creature through.

Rikuo- 8000

Viper- 7600

Viper drew, a slight smirk on his face. "Snake Templar isn't beaten yet. Activate special ability, Endless Life!" His graveyard whined and spat out two cards, which he added to his hand. "Get it? Sinister Serpent's special ability that lets me pick it up from my graveyard is given to my Snake Templar. It cannot die!" He exploded into laughter.

Rikuo smiled calmly. "Then attack my Wolf Demon Soldier with your monster. I dare you to."

"Not a chance, General. I now exactly what your creature's special ability is and that would place me in a bad position indeed. First, I activate the special ability of Snake's Nest. Snake Token, come to me!" A small snake slithered out of the pit and hissed at Rikuo. "Isn't it cute?"

Rikuo grimaced at the slimy little thing. "It's as cute as you are, and that's not a compliment."

"Just for that, I'm going to ruin your plans! I sacrifice my Snake Token to summon my Virus Master (2100/1000) in attack mode!" The little snake faded away and was replaced by a sickly-looking old man. "Now I'll discard my Sinister Serpent to trigger its special ability, which lets me destroy all monsters on the field of whatever sub-type I call. So I call Demon." The Virus Master threw up his hands and released a wave of sickly green gases that swallowed up the field. Rikuo's Wolf Demon Soldier howled in pain and exploded. "And since it didn't die because of battle, that means that you can't special summon your Wolf Demon Lord. Perhaps you should have set something to defend yourself with? Attack his life points directly!" The sickly creature opened its mouth and sprayed out a wave of green vomit that splashed across Rikuo's chest, causing him to howl in pain, like his Soldier had done shortly before.

Rikuo- 5900

Viper- 7600

A few seconds passed while Rikuo glared at his opponent. Finally, "You're done! Draw!" Grasping the card, he added it quickly to his hand and sneered. "Now then, let's play the fusion game. I activate Polymerization, fusing Machine King (2200/2000) and Robotic Knight (1600/1800) together to form the Perfectly Ultimate Machine King (2800/2300) in attack mode!" A huge humanoid robot appeared on his field, steam spraying from the cracks in its armor plating. "Attack his Virus Master, now!" It raised its fists and fired twin beams of light from them that instantly annihilated the sickly monster. "Then I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn."

Rikuo- 5900

Viper- 6900

Viper drew and retrieved his Sinister Serpent from the graveyard. "Now Snake's Nest, give me another of my beautiful children to sacrifice!" Another Snake Token slithered out of the pit and faded away. "I tribute my creature to set one monster in face-down defense mode." He was sneering as he slid two cards into his duel disk. "Then I set two cards face-down on my field and end my turn. Come and get me, General."

"We'll see....Draw!" Rikuo drew his next card and he instantly knew he needed to do. "I set this face-down." Another brown-backed card appeared on his field next to his first one. "And then I'll summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode." A blue and yellow robot appeared on his field. "X-Head Cannon, attack his face-down monster now!" The robot charged up a beam of energy within its cannon barrels and released it upon the face-down monster. When it hit the monster card, the brown-backed target exploded into a dust that covered the field.

Viper hissed in pure delight at his opponent's ignorance. "Do you even realize what you have just run into!? Not only have you triggered my Deck Destruction Virus, but you've also run right into my Adaptation Virus. (0/1200) When it is destroyed in battle, it destroys all monsters on the field of the same type as the one that killed it. Now, go Deck Destruction Virus! Infect his deck and the rest of his strong monsters!"

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Ryu skidded to a stop, barely avoiding the black-robed figure that appeared in his path. "I'm not in the mood to deal with one of you guys. Now move out of my way or I will physically destroy you."

The figure chuckled calmly and in a voice that was heavy with a German accent, he said, "I don't think that you would do that to an old friend, would you?" Removing his cloak, Siegfried smiled coldly and clicked his duel disk into place. He looked the same as always, with his long brown hair, and jeans and jacket combo. Around his waist was his tail, like a belt. His ears seemed strangely inanimate though. "Besides, I need someone to test my new deck and cards on. You're the perfect candidate, Ryu."

The dragon demon clenched his fist at this unexpected development. "You're one of the last people who should be helping Seren." He clicked his duel disk into place anyway. "Now why are you doing this?"

"Because I've been awakened to the truth by Lord Viper. He was right, when he said that the human race was full of nothing but sheep, waiting for a tiger to tear them apart." A feral smile crept across his face. "I'm the tiger...and all of them are my sacrificial lambs. Care to stop me, Grand General?"

Ryu still found this hard to swallow. ("Siegfried Reinhardt...this isn't you...")

Then he noticed it. ("His eyes...they're different.")

Indeed, Siegfried's eyes were not their normal ice-blue, but were instead a strange violet-purple mixture. "Well Ryu, are you ready for a darkness game? It's been so long since I've felt my blood pump with the excitement of a strong opponent." Around them, the black sphere of a darkness game was forming.

The dragon demon nodded. "You're not yourself. I intend to fix that right now! Let's duel!"

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: To thegymrat: I'm sorry about that. I did take Repayment of Losses from your story, but by the time I finished the chapter, I forgot to give credit where credit is due. Repayment of Losses is owned by thegymrat, not me. Sorry once again.


	13. A classic fight Knight vs Dragon

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 13: A classic fight; Knights vs. Dragons

_The dragon demon clenched his fist at this unexpected development. "You're one of the last people who should be helping Seren." He clicked his duel disk into place anyway. "Now why are you doing this?"_

"_Because I've been awakened to the truth by Lord Viper. He was right, when he said that the human race was full of nothing but sheep, waiting for a tiger to tear them apart." A feral smile crept across his face. "I'm the tiger...and all of them are my sacrificial lambs. Care to stop me, Grand General?"_

_Ryu still found this hard to swallow. ("Siegfried Reinhardt...this isn't you...")_

_Then he noticed it. ("His eyes...they're different.")_

_Indeed, Siegfried's eyes were not their normal ice-blue, but were instead a strange violet-purple mixture. "Well Ryu, are you ready for a darkness game? It's been so long since I've felt my blood pump with the excitement of a strong opponent." Around them, the black sphere of a darkness game was forming._

_The dragon demon nodded. "You're not yourself. I intend to fix that right now! Let's duel!"_

Siegfried drew his five cards and a wicked smile appeared on his face. "Be prepared to taste defeat Ryu. My deck is completely ready for every dragon trick you may have." He drew and slid two cards into his disk. "Now I set these two cards face-down on my field, ending my turn."

Ryu drew his opening hand and then his sixth card. "What's the matter? Did Lady Luck give you a bad hand?" He didn't say these words with as much mockery as he wished he could work up. This entire situation felt perversely wrong to him. He and Rikuo were supposed to teach this new generation of Demon Lords how to do their job, and this was completely the opposite of what he was supposed to do. ("I have no choice though. His mind has been taken control of by Seren.") "I summon Armed Dragon LVL3 (1200/900) in defense mode!" A little orange and brown scaled dragon appeared on his field in a semi-crouching position. "Then I set these two cards face-down on my field. End turn." The two brown-backed cards appeared on the field behind his dragon."

Siegfried drew and slid a card into his duel disk. "I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards from my deck." He slid two cards free from his deck and added them to his hand. "Now for a magic card, Blessings of the Guardian Goddess. By discarding five cards from my hand, I can then draw two. Also, as long as this card remains in play, I will draw two cards at the start of each turn, instead of one." He slid all but one of his cards into the graveyard, and then he drew two off of his deck. "And now I summon Blade Knight (1600/1000) in attack mode!" A silver-armored knight appeared on his field. "Also, I'll equip him with the magic card Sword of Dragon's Soul, which raises his attack power by 700." The silver knight lifted his hand into the air and a saw-like sword appeared in his grasp, the weapon glowing with a calm green light. (2300/1000) "Finally, my Knight's special ability gives him 400 extra attack points when I only have one card in my hand." (2700/1000)

Ryu didn't seem very worried. "Siegfried, explain to me why you must do this? Why is the world supposed to be controlled by demons alone?"

The German Duelist sneered and pointed at the little dragon on Ryu's field. "Attack now, Blade Knight!" Nodding, the silver warrior launched across the field and slashed down the Armed Dragon. "End turn."

Ryu drew. "Siegfried....you're not understanding the purpose of a demon's existence...For that, I'm going to have to show you some tough love! Reveal face-down card, Dragon's Heart! This will let me special summon up to two more copies of whatever dragon sub-type monster that I lost last turn." Two more Armed Dragons LVL 3 appeared on his field. "And now I trigger the special ability of my little dragons. During the standby phase, I may sacrifice them to summon forth this!" The two dragons started to grow and swell, its scales hardening and drills appearing on its skin. "Now I have Armed Dragons LVL 5 on my field!" (2400/1700) The two now black and red scaled dragons roared.

Siegfried looked to his Blade Knight. "It's not enough, Ryu. Care to try again?"

"I'm not done yet." The dragon demon took two cards from his hand and slid them into his disk. "Activate card combo, Level Up and Forked Magic! This will not only raise the level of one of my Armed Dragons, but thanks to Forked Magic the level of the other one will increase too!" The roars of the Armed Dragons increased in depth as they grew even larger, silver armor appearing over their bodies. "Armed Dragon LVL 7!" (2800/1600) The two dragons roared into the darkness as they towered over both Siegfried and his knight. "Attack his Blade Knight now!" The first of the two dragons stomped forward, drills outstretched to run the metal warrior through.

"It's not that easy to get past my defenses! Activate trap card, Fortified Armor! This will raise the attack of my monster by its defense for one turn." Siegfried snickered as his Knight was encompassed by bright silver light. (3700/1000) "Counter-attack!" The Blade Knight lunged forward and met the Armed Dragon halfway across the field, cutting through its armored hide easily.

Ryu- 7100

Siegfried- 8000

Ryu looked down at his remaining two cards. ("He's working this exactly as I planned.") "I sacrifice my other Armed Dragon to summon Crystallis the Ice Dragon (2200/2000) in defense mode." The Armed Dragon faded and was replaced by a ball of ice with a pair of eyes glowing within the center of it. "End turn."

Siegfried drew his two cards. "Ryu, you're getting slow in your old age. Do you think I would be dumb enough to attack you? Reveal face-down card, Mystical Space Typhoon!" A sharp wind blew across the field and shattered Ryu's face-down card.

The dragon demon slid his destroyed card into the graveyard slot. "That's quite clever. My Dragon's Gathering trap card would have let me summon and fuse a dragon from my deck with Crystallis."

Siegfried snorted. "Spare me the explanation. Blade Knight, attack!" The silver warrior launched across the field and cut Crystallis in half with one swing of its dragon-slaying sword. "And for the finale, I set this face-down. End turn."

Ryu couldn't do this. ("If I don't though....how many human lives will be lost? How many people will die?") He drew. "I play the magic card Buried Alive, sending five monsters from my deck to my graveyard." Popping his deck free of its holster, he chose his five and sent them graveyard bound.

Siegfried looked at Ryu's final card apprehensively. "So, what's your other card?"

Sliding his deck back into place, Ryu sighed. "It's one of my better monsters. First, I remove six dragon monsters from my graveyard." His duel disk whined and spat out six pre-chosen cards from his graveyard. "Now I play Dragon of the Storms-Typherious!" (2900/4000) From high above him, an echoing roar echoed down upon the field, shaking the earth. "Siegfried, you won't defeat this creature as easily as the others."

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_Viper drew and retrieved his Sinister Serpent from the graveyard. "Now Snake's Nest, give me another of my beautiful children to sacrifice!" Another Snake Token slithered out of the pit and faded away. "I tribute my creature to set one monster in face-down defense mode." He was sneering as he slid two cards into his duel disk. "Then I set two cards face-down on my field and end my turn. Come and get me, General."_

"_We'll see....Draw!" Rikuo drew his next card and he instantly knew he needed to do. "I set this face-down." Another brown-backed card appeared on his field next to his first one. "And then I'll summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode." A blue and yellow robot appeared on his field. "X-Head Cannon, attack his face-down monster now!" The robot charged up a beam of energy within its cannon barrels and released it upon the face-down monster. When it hit the monster card, the brown-backed target exploded into a dust that covered the field._

_Viper hissed in pure delight at his opponent's ignorance. "Do you even realize what you have just run into!? Not only have you triggered my Deck Destruction Virus, but you've also run right into my Adaptation Virus. (0/1200) When it is destroyed in battle, it destroys all monsters on the field of the same type as the one that killed it. Now, go Deck Destruction Virus! Infect his deck and the rest of his strong monsters!"_

A purple mist appeared on the field and started to hover over to Rikuo's field. Halfway there though, it stopped. "You haven't improved by much Viper. All I see are the same old tricks out of you. And for your information, I activate my face-down card, Remove Trap. This will negate your Deck Destruction Virus and leave me untouched."

The snake demon hissed in annoyance. Then he remembered that Rikuo didn't do anything about his Adaptation Virus. "Good job at stopping one of my viruses, but it looks like you were unable to stop the second one. That's too bad. Now all machine monsters on your field are going to the graveyard!" The mist settled onto Rikuo's Perfect Machine King and X-Head Cannon, blowing both of them into nothingness.

Rikuo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remembering that horrible smell of destroyed steel. ("I must keep calm. This is a duel against a dangerous opponent, and considering his skill, I cannot charge in like that again.") "Since I have no cards remaining, I suppose that would mean that the turn is yours."

Viper shook his head. "Not just yet. Reveal face-down trap card, Give Your Left Hand!" Taking the two remaining cards he had, the snake demon slid them both into his graveyard slot. "Now that I have discarded my hand, I can search my deck for one single card and place it there." While he took his deck out of his disk and looked through it, he decided he may as well tease Rikuo. "So, do you know what I am searching for?"

"Actually, yes I do. You are searching for your Legendary Weapon Card, correct?" Rikuo didn't wait for an answer. "Don't think that it will make a difference in this duel."

Grasping one single card from out of his deck, Viper snickered. "Keep dreaming, General. This card will actually be making all the difference in our duel, as you will soon see. For now though, it's my turn." He drew. "And then the effects of Sinister Serpent and Snake Templar return them both to my hand." His graveyard spat the two cards back out and he added them to his hand. "From zero cards to four in one turn. Impressive, eh?"

"Not really. Just because you have a lot of cards doesn't mean that they are good cards. Since I know what they are, I have nothing to fear." Rikuo wished he could have as much confidence as what was in his voice.

Viper popped open his field magic card slot, inserting a card into it and then sliding it shut. "Activate Swamp! As long as this field magic card is in play all reptile monsters will gain 500 extra attack points." All around him, the earth shuddered as it was replaced by a stinking bog slime and brackish water. "Very homely, wouldn't you say?"

Rikuo was too busy covering his mouth with his hand to answer.

"You're no fun at all. Maybe you will be after I do this! I summon Snake Templar (2500/1500) to the field in attack mode!" The black-armored humanoid snake appeared on the field and hissed happily at the swamp that was around it. "And then I play my Legendary Weapon Card, Poison Fang!" A single ornate dagger appeared in the hands of his Templar. "This will raise my creature's attack by 500, as well as give it a very special power." (3000/1500)

Rikuo slid his hand over his duel disk, trying to ignore how terrible the bog around him smelled. ("Come on...attack...")

"Snake Templar, attack his life points directly!" The monster silently shot across the field and stabbed the dagger right into Rikuo's side, sending jolts of pain through his body.

Rikuo- 2900

Viper- 6900

While the Snake Templar returned to his field, Viper decided that now would be the best time to gloat. "I suppose your bluff didn't work, did it?"

Taking deep and shuddering breaths, Rikuo didn't feel like answering. If there was one thing he knew though, it was that he couldn't let Viper get the better of him. "Actually, I never bluff. Reveal quick-play magic card, Ascetic's Enlightenment! For every 1000 life points worth of damage that I take this turn, I may draw one card from my deck." He drew his three cards and smirked, trying to push away the green coloring that he knew was filling his cheeks. "How about that?"

Viper motioned to his Snake's Nest, and from within it another Snake Token appeared on his field in defense mode, its little body curled into a coil shape. (600/100) "That's completely fine Rikuo. After all, even if you kill my Templar, it will just come back. If you remember correctly, so will my Weapon Card. Therefore, I will always have a 3000 attack monster, no matter what you do. End turn."

Rikuo cracked his free knuckles. "Here we go, Draw!" Bringing the new card up to his face, he smirked. "Then I'll just have to surpass 3000 attack, now won't I?"

He slid a card into his duel disk. "First, I'll play Silent Rebirth, which will revive one normal monster from my graveyard to the field in defense mode! Return to me, X-Head Cannon!" (1800/1500) The blue and yellow robot appeared on his field, with its arms crossed in front of it.

"Then I play Monster Reborn, reviving Machine King from the graveyard!" (2300/2000) The humanoid robot appeared on his field, steam spraying from out of its armor.

Viper stood silent, waiting for his opponent's next move.

Rikuo slid both of the revived monster cards into his graveyard. "Here we go! I summon Irios the Steel Monarch (2700/2300) in attack mode!" A huge humanoid robot made of gears and battered steel appeared on his field. "If I tribute summon it, and it is my only attacking monster that turn, I may double its attack points."

Irios started to dance around a little, huge bursts of steam spraying out of its now over-loading body. (5400/2300) "Irios, attack his Snake Templar!" The metal monster charged across the field and slammed its shoulder into the snake monster, blowing it apart. Irios continued its charge, tackling Viper and sending him skidding backwards.

Rikuo- 2900

Viper- 4500

Viper looked pained for a few seconds, and then his features returned to a smile. "That was a fairly clever move, but you made one mistake. When a monster wielding the Poison Fang is sent to the graveyard because of battle, it kills the opposing monster as well." Irios made a loud whining noise, and then blew apart. "Too bad you forgot."

Rikuo slid his last card into his duel disk. "I set this face-down. End turn." ("Alright, so I should have listened before.")

Viper drew and returned his two lost cards from his graveyard back into his hand. "Snake's Nest, produce another Snake Token for me." Another little snake emerged from the pit. It joined its brother and both exploded into dust. "And I sacrifice them both to summon this beast! Come forth, Rainbow Snake Eingana!" (2700/2400) The bog directly behind him bubbled and from within it emerged a huge rainbow colored snake, which reared its head high into the sky and hissed at Rikuo. "Then I play my Legendary Weapon Card on it. Go Poison Fang!" Eingana hissed in a mix of pain and pleasure as its fangs elongated to impossible size. (3200/2400) "Attack his life points directly!" The rainbow-colored snake launched downwards, jaws open wide to swallow Rikuo whole.

Until it slammed into an invisible barrier, its face pressing against the invisible shield in a very comical way. "Sorry Viper, but my Negate Attack trap card makes sure that you won't be touching me this turn."

"End turn." Viper watched as Eingana returned to his field, looking very angry. "Do not worry, my pet. As part of his penalty for losing this darkness game, I'll let you eat him alive." The huge snake hissed loud and bared its fangs excitedly.

Rikuo clenched his fist and stopped himself from taking a deep breath. He preferred to avoid getting sick. ("I don't have time to be playing games with this fool. So...let's end this right now!")

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At first it appeared as only a dot in the darkness, but then it got much clearer as it reached the field. Typherious was a huge and wiry armored dragon with green scales. All around it were small tornadoes and cyclones, the winds seeming to gather around it like a shield.

Ryu smiled warmly at the sight of another of his beautiful friends. "Typherious, your opponent is him!" The green dragon snapped its tapered head around and roared at Siegfried, icy cold winds blasting the tiger demon's hair back in the wind it created.

Siegfried looked up at the creature with a smile on his face. It was a smile of a predator. "I'm not afraid of your pitiful little lizard. My Sword of Dragon's Soul will kill it in battle, despite its high attack points."

"No, it won't." Ryu motioned up to Storm Dragon. "Do you know why they call him the Dragon of the Storms? Because with each beat of his wings, a Heavy Storm is created."

Siegfried grimaced. "A Heavy Storm!?"

Typherious snapped its wings back, the wind surrounding its body becoming a pair of ball of energy within the leather folds. It looked to Ryu, and when he nodded it flapped both of its wings down on the field. "Once per turn, Typherious may destroy all magic and trap cards on the field."

Siegfried barely managed to avoid getting blown away, while his Blessings of the Guardian Goddess, Sword of Dragon's Soul and face-down card were all annihilated in one blast.

"Typherious, attack his Blade Knight!" The Storm Dragon roared again, this time in fury. It opened its small jaws wide and created a tiny cyclone within them, spraying the sharp blast of wind out at the speed of bullet. Siegfried's Blade Knight didn't even get a chance to defend itself.

Ryu- 7100

Siegfried- 6700

Ryu frowned at the sight of the growling Siegfried. "Are you starting to understand yet? You're following the wrong side, son."

When he heard the word 'son', Siegfried snarled, his violet eyes turning crimson red for a moment. "Don't speak to me like a child! I'll destroy you and your little wind lizard. Just...you...WATCH!" He drew...

_To be continued..._


	14. Poison of the Mind and Body

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 14: Poison of the Mind and Body

_Rikuo clenched his fist and stopped himself from taking a deep breath. He preferred to avoid getting sick. ("I don't have time to be playing games with this fool. So...let's end this right now!")_

"Draw!' Rikuo snapped the top card off of his deck and glanced at it. "Viper, I'll get us started with Card of Demise! Now I draw cards off the top of my deck until I am holding five in my hand. The downside is that in five turns, I discard my entire hand immediately." He drew five cards off the top of his deck. "Perfect. I can finish this right now."

Viper glanced down at his life point total. "I doubt it. What can you possibly do to me that will drain me of 4500 life points?"

Rikuo- 2900

Viper- 4500

Rikuo slid a card into his duel disk. "I'll begin with Heavy Storm, clearing the field of all magic and trap cards." The bog that surrounded them was blown away in one huge explosion of wind. The two magic effects which were raising the attack power of Viper's Rainbow Snake Eingana were also destroyed. (2200/2400)

As he slid both his Swamp field magic card and his Legendary Weapon Card into the graveyard, Viper snickered. "What did that accomplish? My Poison Fang will return to me next turn. You're wasting both my time and your own with such foolish plays."

"Oh, I am huh? Well watch this! First off, I set one card face-down on my field." He slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. A holographic representation of that card appeared on the field in front of him. "And now for the beginning of your end! I activate my next card, Card Destruction." He slid his remaining two cards into his graveyard slot. "This will force us both to discard our hands and draw new ones equal to the number of cards we discarded."

Viper slid his two cards into his graveyard slot. "Are you that dumb? Do you remember what I had in my hand? Sinister Serpent (300/200) and Snake Templar (2000/1500) will both return to my hand next turn, along with my Legendary Weapon Card."

Rikuo drew two cards off the top of his deck. After glancing at them, he slid one into his duel disk. "I activate Pot of Greed." He drew two cards and added them to his remaining one.

The snake demon drew his two cards. "My dear General, you're not making any sense at all. What can you do to me that would be so crippling?"

Rikuo flipped up the card that he had placed face-down on his field. "I can flip up my face-down Soul Release, which will allow me to remove five cards from any player's graveyard. So let's see...I choose to remove your Poison Fang, Sinister Serpent, Gagigio, Snake Templar and Virus Master."

Viper gasped in surprise as his graveyard slot spat out each card when it was called. "NO!"

"That's right," Rikuo smirked. "You can't recover your three Eternal Life cards if they aren't in the graveyard. That means your biggest advantage is gone."

"Oh really?" Viper tilted his head over at his Rainbow Snake. "Have you forgotten that I still have a monster on the field with over 2000 attack points? What can you do to that?"

"I can do plenty! My next card is the magic card Brain Control!" A purple brain appeared on his field. "With its power, one monster of yours will obey me for a turn. So come to me Eingana, and become my sacrifice!" The huge rainbow-colored serpent slithered over to Rikuo's field, and then it faded away.

"Now get yourself ready, because here comes something new! I summon Abyss Knight (2300/500) in attack mode!" The ground in front of him exploded into black flames, and from within the flames the form of a giant black-armored demon appeared on the field. "As long as he is on the field, all demon sub-type monsters will gain a 500 attack point bonus. (2800/500) Abyss Knight, attack his life points directly!" The demon lifted its arm up and sprayed Viper with a burst of black flames.

Rikuo- 2900

Viper- 1700

"And now I set this last card face-down on my field. End turn." Rikuo watched the card appear in front of him, smiling the entire time. "And then as soon as your turn starts, I'll flip it up! Activate Ring of Destruction!" A metal ring with grenades attached to it appeared around the neck of the Abyss Knight. "It will destroy my monster and deal both of us its attack in damage!" The Abyss Knight began to cackle insanely, and then was blown apart.

Rikuo- 100

Viper- 0

Viper grimaced. "I've lost..."

Rikuo stepped a few feet closer. "And that means that...you're gone."

Viper looked down at the shadows that were wrapping around his body, slowly consuming him. "I'll return. You know just how hard it is to keep a demon down."

Rikuo nodded. "I look forward to handing you your ass again. So come back whenever you wish." By the time he had finished his sentence, Viper was gone. All that remained was his Legendary Weapon Card, which was lying on the ground.

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_Ryu frowned at the sight of the growling Siegfried. "Are you starting to understand yet? You're following the wrong side, son."_

_When he heard the word 'son', Siegfried snarled, his violet eyes turning crimson red for a moment. "Don't speak to me like a child! I'll destroy you and your little wind lizard. Just...you...WATCH!" He drew..._

Ryu watched patiently. "Don't stress yourself now."

"Silence!" Siegfried drew his card and slid it into his duel disk. "I play the Blitzkrieg magic card. When I summon a monster from my hand this turn, I may also summon any monster with 1500 or less attack points from my deck to the field. That means when I summon Buster Knight (1800/2000) to the field, I may also summon a creature from my deck." His deck spat out a card, and he threw it onto his disk. "I summon Armor Knight (1300/2000) to the field in attack mode!" Two monsters appeared on his together. The first was a black-armored warrior with a huge claymore sword strapped to his back, and the other was a silver-armored knight who carried a huge shield. "And for my final card, I play Polymerization!" The two knights were pulled into each other, forming a new knight who stood at least twenty feet tall, with Buster Knight's Claymore in one hand and Armor Knight's Shield in the other. "I have summoned a creature who matches the mighty Buster Blader (2600/2300) in the fine art of dragon-slaying. Say hello to Armor Buster Knight!" (2000/2300)

Ryu crossed his arms across his chest. "Your deck has improved. However, you still are making a mistake. I'm not your enemy."

"Armor Buster Knight says otherwise. After all, against no other opponent would I get such a perfect bonus." Siegfried pointed at his Knight. "You see my creature a 700 attack point bonus if there is a dragon on the field. And if there is dragon in the graveyard, he may attack twice." (3000/2300) "Attack Typherious, and then shut Ryu up once and for all!" The Armor Buster Knight launched across the field and slashed right through the mighty wind dragon. It followed by slamming its weapon down on Ryu's head.

The dragon demon didn't ever flinch away from the blow.

Ryu- 4000

Siegfried- 6700

Siegfried smiled coldly, the anger that was burning through him feeling appeased at the sight of his opponent being defenseless. "End turn."

Ryu drew and slid the card into his duel disk. "I play Monster Reborn on Typherious, returning it to the field in defense mode." The wind dragon reappeared on the field, a huge tornado surrounding its body. "End turn."

Siegfried drew and placed a monster onto his disk. "I set this face-down and end my turn."

Ryu drew. "Siegfried, what about Crystal? She's human...is she your prey?"

The German duelist froze up at the sound of that name.

Ryu slid his card into his duel disk. "End turn."

Siegfried drew slowly, his violet eyes now looking lost and confused.

Ryu smiled a little at the sight. ("He's in there. Now I just need to wake him up.") "I'll take your silence as an end turn." The dragon demon drew his card and slid it into his disk. "Now I play the magic card Trap Repair. At the cost of 2000 life points, I may activate any trap card from my graveyard. Go Dragon's Gathering!"

Ryu- 2000

Siegfried- 6700

"Now I can special summon any monster card from my deck that is a dragon and that can fuse with Typherious. And I have just the monster in mind." Removing his deck from his duel disk, Ryu checked it over and found what he was looking for. "I summon Grand Emperor Dragon (2000/2500) to the field in attack mode!" A huge golden-armored dragon appeared on his field. "Now I combine my two dragons to form Grand Emperor Typherious-Emissary of the Sky!" (4000/7000) The two dragons were pulled into each other as their bodies fused together, creating a golden armored version of Typherious.

"Now the special ability of Grand Emperor Typherious activates! While it is on the field, neither of us can play magic nor trap cards! Typherious, attack his Buster Armor Knight with Storm of Divinity!" The huge dragon god howled into the wind, a ball of golden air forming within its mouth. In one flash of golden light, Siegfried was short one Knight.

Ryu- 2000

Siegfried- 5700

Siegfried's eyes flickered. "I..." Clutching his head, he screamed at the pain he was feeling. Seconds later, he was standing again, that cold smirk on his face. "That's a very impressive dragon you have there. However, can it beat this!? Reveal face-down monster, Exiled Force!" (1000/1000) A horde of ragged-looking men appeared on his field. "By sacrificing them, I can send your monster straight into the graveyard!" They charged across the field and somehow managed to wrestle the huge dragon god to the ground, pummeling it senseless.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot to draw." Siegfried drew the top card off of his deck and slid it into his duel disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Ryu drew. ("That's a first. I was expecting Typherious to win this duel for me.") "Siegfried...well? Do you have an answer to my question? What about Crystal?"

"I won't let your words affect me. I'm beyond you! Now play your card or end your turn." Siegfried's eyes were a bright crimson.

"So be it. I play the magic card Blood of the King. This lets me sacrifice 1000 life points to special summon a single dragon monster with 1500 or less attack from my deck to the field." There was an explosion of light as a steel-grey form appeared on his field. "I summon Haze the Smoke Dragon (0/0) in attack mode!" When it heard its name, Haze roared and spread its wings. "End turn."

Ryu- 1000

Siegfried- 5700

Siegfried drew from off of his deck. "What does your monster do?"

Ryu smiled slightly and held up his disk, showing that his bordering of the card was yellow. "Haze has no effect at all."

("That means his face-down card is a trap card.") "I set a monster face-down in defense mode and end my turn."

Ryu drew. "Siegfried...thank you. Thank you for not attacking Haze. In return, I'll make sure that your defeat is swift and painless. Reveal face-down trap card, Smoke of Life! This card can only be activated on the turn after Haze has been summoned, and he must be in attack position for it to work. With this trap, I can discard my hand to bring back a dragon from my graveyard and a dragon from my deck out onto the field. Also, I can fuse them together, if it is possible." His field was swallowed up within a huge tornado as Grand Emperor Typherious was revived. The reborn god howled down at Siegfried, its emerald eyes glowing angrily. "Now it's time to end this duel. Come forth, Infernus the Fire Dragon!" (2200/2000) The whirling tornado heated and quickly turned into a swirling funnel of fire.

Siegfried stumbled backwards as a pair of orange eyes appeared from within the flame tunnel. "What is that thing!? How can you fuse a fusion monster!?"

"That is the power of my dragons. They can combine to form much more powerful versions of themselves. This is one of my better combinations though." Ryu smiled and lifted his hand. "That's enough with the special effects, my friend. Reveal yourself to your opponent." The tunnel vanished, revealing its creator.

The monster had to be at least 200' long from head to snout. Its entire body was made of molten gold. Lifting its tapered head into the air, the dragon released a roar that sounded like a forest fire. "This is Grand Pyrus Dragon-Envoy of the Tempest!" (7000/10000) "And his special ability spells the end for you, my friend. Go, Tempest Removal!" The dragon roared and sprayed Siegfried's field with flame. "With this effect, I may sacrifice all but 100 life points to clear all cards on your field."

Ryu- 100

Siegfried- 5700

Siegfried paled, his crimson eyes fading to violet again.

Ryu pointed at Siegfried. "I'm sorry, my friend. Forgive me for this! Pyrus, attack his life points directly! Divine Burning Wind!" The huge molten dragon sprayed Siegfried with a small tornado of flame.

Ryu- 100

Siegfried- 5700

Ryu walked right through the fire to stand a few inches from the kneeling Siegfried. "And as per the rules of a darkness game, your fate is mine to decide. I choose for you to be purged of the evil that infects you!"

Siegfried clutched at his head and screamed as his skin began to boil. The pain quickly disappeared, leaving him panting. "Ryu...I...I."

The dragon demon helped his friend to his feet. "Think nothing of it. You weren't yourself. By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a certain key..."

Siegfried pulled the card out of his pocket. "Actually...I do."

"Ah, excellent." Ryu took the card and frowned. "The Purge..." He shivered and slid the card into his pocket. "Siegfried, I'll see you later. We have to go." Turning, Ryu barely made it three steps before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm coming to." Siegfried's eyes were their original ice-blue, the orbs glowing fiercely at the prospect of meeting the man who dared to use him as a puppet.

"As you wish. Come, we had best be off." Ryu clapped his arm around the shoulders of the younger demon, and the two walked off.

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Seren growled in rage, dropping the corpse of the messenger at his feet with a single beam of energy through the heart. ("This is ridiculous! They're making me seem like a fool!!")

_("Perhaps you are a fool? After all, only a fool would pursue this mad path......")_

Seren trembled for a few seconds, and then decided that he was going to go to the nearest civilized location and kill a few dozen humans to blow off some steam. ("And soon, the Purge will consume all humans. They will all die. And then...then the world will belong to its rightful masters, the demons!")

His laughter echoed into the forest that surrounded him...

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Breaking down a wall

Author's Notes: To Demonfan: I did that because the way it originally used to be, lots of chapter would get erased and removed. Since it was causing too many problems, I separated the chapters.


	15. Breaking down a wall

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 15: Breaking down a wall

Daniel sat silently in his seat, en route for the location of the next key card. And right next to him, was his....fiancé. ("Rikuo...why did you give me away? First off, I thought you hated Jasmine. Why would you make a deal like this one?")

_("I have my reasons. Let's just say that her skills will come in handy when we face Seren.")_

Rubbing his face, the half wolf-demon didn't understand how Jasmine being with them would make any difference. ("I doubt Seren's going to be nice enough to let us duel him more than one on one. Besides, I'd prefer to have Siegfried, Deondre or Ryu backing me up. I don't trust Jasmine. Plus, I think she stole my wallet.")

_("She did, actually. Just trust me on this one. Her help will be needed.")_

Daniel didn't believe Rikuo at all. ("I personally think that you have fallen for her...charms.")

There was a few seconds of silence that seemed far too awkward.

It was broken when Rikuo took control of Daniel's right hand and smacked him with it. _("You have some audacity to think such a stupid thing!")_

Daniel would have replied, but Jennie poked his side. "Are you okay? Not many people slap themselves for any reason."

Blushing brightly, Daniel looked away from her. "I'm fine. Oh...and I never got a chance to apologize for the whole...you waking up in my lap thing."

Jennie blushed just as brightly and turned her head to face the window. "I...it's...okay. You didn't do anything. That was apparently my fault."

"Yeah...but still...I wouldn't feel right letting you take the blame for something like that. After all, it wasn't like you did it on purpose."

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Siegfried slid back into his seat and smiled at the collected duelists. "I think he's fallen for her."

Deondre and CJ both blinked in surprise at so...forward of a statement.

Ryu smirked and took a sip of his wine. "Agreed. I wouldn't believe it, but they're actually getting along. Considering the situation, that's amazing."

Out of the blue, CJ remembered something. "Hey...what ever happened to Amy?"

"........." They all exchanged glances and then as one slid out of their seats to go and check the plane for their 'manager'.

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Jennie smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "So...do you have a family?"

Daniel stared at her. "Of course...don't you?"

"I wish I was that lucky. All I've ever had was Jasmine, and she's protected me since I was ten." The brown-haired girl sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You should feel lucky that you'll have somewhere to go after this whole little incident is over."

"You can come with us. I'm sure that my sister wouldn't mind if you lived with us." Daniel had absolutely no idea why he was even suggesting this. ("All things considered, I should just have nothing to do with her.")

_("Maybe you like her?")_

("Maybe you like Jasmine?")

Daniel's right hand slapped him again.

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("Why do I have to check the cargo hold?") CJ thought angrily while he literally threw a crate twice his size out of his way. ("Probably because I'm the strongest out of all of us.")

A loud whimpering hit his ears as he passed a strange stack of boxes. Pushing them out of the way, he found Amy.

Her hair was a mess, and she was blind-folded and gagged, with her arms and legs wrapped up by vines.

"Amy! Are you alright?" CJ quickly tore the vines away. "What happened!?"

"I happened." A voice casually said from behind him.

CJ spun around just in time to get a kick to the nose.

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Rikuo sighed as he sat cross-legged within the darkness of Daniel's mind. Extending his consciousness, he could see that Daniel was actually over his initial fearful reaction of Jennie, and was talking with her casually now. ("Good, he's finally getting over that stupid shyness.")

_Diabu threw his head back and laughed. "You're such a fool! I am a Dark Demon Knight!"_

("The Dark Demon Knights...If they're back then that means they will be after the Purge.") His mental skin shuddered at the thought of something so powerful falling into the hands of that fanatical group. "Now...how do I stop them? And how did they summon all of those Duel Monsters into the real world?"

"Perhaps they didn't?" A voice echoed from behind him.

Rikuo didn't let his surprise show. "Jourgen? What are you doing in here?"

The dragon demon, his body an almost ghost-like version of itself, sat down next to his friend. "It's hard to explain, so don't expect an answer. Anyhow, the Dark Demon Knights are dangerous, but that doesn't mean they are as strong as they used to be. Don't forget that the Demon Lords have their own weapons to fight with."

The ancient spirit smiled sadly. "That was long ago, my friend. The five Protectors died with my father and yours, you know that."

The dragon demon slyly smirked, tilting his head a little, as if in thought. "But don't you think that it is rather...coincidental that our five happen to..."

Rikuo held up his hand to silence Ryu. "Don't grasp for straws. We're better off winning this battle with our own strength. Falling back on such a silly idea won't save us."

Ryu sighed and nodded. "Alright then, my friend. We're looking for Amy at the moment, if you would like to help."

"That's all right." Rikuo watched Daniel actually laughing, the boy's heart seeming much lighter than it had been for a long time. "I'm making my own preparations."

"As you wish," Ryu faded away.

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CJ rolled with the blow and came back up on his feet, fists lifted up as he squared himself off from his opponent. "Who the hell are you?"

Esmin brushed his silver-white hair back and smiled coldly. "I'm Esmin Reiner, the phantom thief. And before you stupidly ask about the girl, keep in mind that I didn't want to be found out, but she just had to be on the plane when I entered."

CJ cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna bust your face in, pretty boy. Are you a Dark Demon Knight?"

Esmin rolled his eyes at the mere thought of that. "A Dark Demon Knight? Me? How idiotic. Why would I be one of those fanatics? All I am is a spirit who is seeking the Purge and its power. With it, I'll be able to get rid of the essence of your friend."

"My friend?" CJ narrowed his eyes, attention focused on his surroundings, just in case Esmin had some kind of sneak attack prepared. "What are you talking about?"

The fox demon rolled his eyes. "If I am correct, his name is Janeam. Personally, it really won't matter when I get rid of him. Unlike my soft-hearted bitch of a sister and the General, I don't plan on being content with sharing a body with a stinking part-demon. Now then, because you have found me out, I have no choice but to challenge you to a darkness game. If you win, then I'll get out of your friend's body. However, if I win then you'll be banished from existence." From out of nowhere his duel disk appeared on his arm. "So tell me, is your friend worth the loss of your soul?"

CJ clicked his duel disk into place. "You're damn straight he is. Let's get this started!!"

As the darkness around them grew thicker, Esmin smirked and drew his opening hand, including a sixth card. "Allow me to start us off with this monster in defense mode." A brown-backed card appeared on his field. "End turn."

CJ drew his hand out of his deck and then his card for the turn. "I'd think you'd be smarter than to summon a monster in defense when playing me. I summon Enraged Battle Ox (1700/1000) in attack mode!" A towering Minotaur wielding a battle axe appeared on his field.

"And then I'll combine him with the magic card Wild Nature's Release, raising his attack power by his defense!" The Battle Ox howled as its muscles bulged in size. (2700/0) "Attack now!" Charging across the field, the Enraged Battle Ox slashed right through the card. "And thanks to the special ability of my monster, he can deal damage right through defense."

CJ- 8000

Esmin- 5800

The fox demon held up his face-down monster. "That's quite an impressive strategy. My Lekunga (1700/500) didn't stand a chance against your monster's awesome might." He slid the creature into his graveyard slot, smiling the whole time. "Of course, I can easily defeat your strategy with just a couple of cards in my hand. So, are you done?"

"Not yet!" CJ slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set these face-down on my field. Now I'm done." The Enraged Battle Ox howled and exploded.

"Indeed you are. Draw!" Esmin slid the card into his hand and his graveyard spat out his Lekunga. "I sacrifice Lekunga from my graveyard to special summon Aqua Spirit (1600/1200) to the field." A blue-skinned water sprite appeared on his field. "Of course, I'm going to sacrifice her to summon something more powerful." She faded away and was replaced by a blond-haired fairy in king's robes. "I summon Fairy King Truesdale (2200/1500) in attack mode. And thanks to his special ability, all plant sub-type monsters on my field gain 500 extra attack points, including itself." (2700/1500)

CJ frowned at the sight of that creature. ("Its attack points are huge! How am I gonna beat that?")

Esmin saw the look that CJ was giving his creature, and laughed. "Afraid? You should be. Direct attack!" The blond-haired fairy cupped his hands and began to whisper something, a ball of golden-blue light forming within his hands.

CJ tapped a button on his duel disk. "I can't afford to let that get through, so I activate the trap card Call of the Beast! With it, I can special summon one beast sub-type monster from my hand to the field!" He threw down his monster. "D.D. Crazy Beast (1400/1400) in defense mode." A red and teal monster with googly eyes appeared on his field for a few seconds, and then it was gone as Fairy King Truesdale's attack blew it apart.

Esmin looked fairly surprised. "And here I thought you didn't run any defense. I'll end my turn."

CJ drew. ("I still don't have anything to deal with his King, but that doesn't mean I'm out of options quite yet.") "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." The card appeared on the field in front of him.

Esmin drew. "I expect to run into a trap this time. Fairy King Truesdale, attack his monster!" The fairy charged up another ball of golden-blue light and blew CJ's monster apart.

Bracing himself against the backlash of his monster's death, CJ smirked as soon as the explosion subsided. "Actually, my monster is the trap. It was my Giant Rat. (1400/1450) When it is killed in battle, I may special summon one earth attribute monster from my deck to the field that has 1500 or less attack points." His deck spat out a card that he slapped onto his disk. "So I'll special summon another Giant Rat to my field." A huge bipedal grey rat appeared on the field.

"I'm still not impressed. End turn." Esmin crossed his arms across his chest and waited to see if CJ could even make him feel the slightest bit worried.

CJ drew his next card. "Esmin, you'd better just wipe that superior look off of your face, because I'm gonna smack your king down right now. I sacrifice Giant Rat to summon Rage, The King of Apes!" (2500/0) A huge fire-red gorilla appeared on his field and roared, shaking the entire plane with its voice. "With his special ability, I'm going to take you down. But first, let me give him an increase with the magic card, Excalibur! This doubles his attack points, giving him more than enough power to wipe your king away!" (5000/0) "Attack!" The giant ape roared and punched the Fairy King so hard that the hologram flew into the ceiling before it could explode. "End turn."

CJ- 8000

Esmin- 3500

Esmin smiled. "Excellent. You've given me exactly what I needed to win." He drew. "Now I set these three cards face-down on my field and end my turn."

CJ drew. "You think I'm dumb enough to attack? First I'll clear the way with this magic card! Activate Heavy Storm!"

Esmin tapped a button on his duel disk. "In response, I will activate the trap monster card Magic Venus!" (0/0) A huge Venus-fly trap exploded out of the ground and bit down on the holographic representation of CJ's magic card. "Now we'll have to play a dangerous game. Each of us must feed my creature a magic card per turn, or else he will attack the transgressor directly. And considering how he gains 1000 attack points for every magic card he eats, you won't live long if are greedy with your cards." (1000/1000)

CJ frowned. ("Damn...Rage is going to have to attack this turn, so I need to figure out a way to get those other two traps off the field.") "Rage, attack now!" The ape roared and charged across the field.

When it was half-way there though, a huge red form exploded out of the ground and latched onto the monster. Esmin pointed at his next trap plant. "And that pretty little thing is known as Blood Seeker. (0/0) It attaches to your monster and drains it of 1000 attack points every turn. Also, your creature cannot attack as long as Blood Seeker is attached to it."

CJ frowned. "End turn."

Esmin drew. "Now then, it's time to feed my children. First, my Blood Seeker drains 1000 attack points from your monkey." The red plant grew in size, while CJ's monster shrank. (1000/1000) (4000/0)

"Then there is my Magic Venus. For him, I give him the magic card Repayment of Losses." Holding the card up, Esmin didn't even flinch as the monster snapped down and swallowed up the card right out of his hand. (2000/2000)

"And when Repayment of Losses is sent to the graveyard, I may draw one card from my deck." Pulling his new card free, the fox demon smirked and set one monster face-down on his duel disk. "Finally, I set this monster face-down and end my turn."

CJ drew. "Alright, now I've got the answer to your stupid creatures! First, I play the magic card Pot of Greed."

The Magic Venus launched down and ripped into the magic card. (3000/3000)

"And now that your plant has been fed, I flip up my magic card, Evil Energy Explosion! This will destroy all face-up trap cards in play, meaning that your two trap monsters are gone!" The face-up card sprayed out a blast of energy that blew the two trap creatures into nothingness. "That frees my Rage and returns his attack points to normal!" (5000/0) "Attack his face-down monster now!" The huge ape launched across the field and stomped on the face-down monster card, blowing it apart.

Esmin didn't even flinch at the explosion that blew across his face. "You attacked my Cat of Ill Omen. (500/300) When it is destroyed, I may select one trap card in my deck and place it on the top. That effectively means that I am going to get to draw the trap of my choice next turn." He flicked through his deck, and then finally found the card he was looking for. "There it is. I place this on top of my deck." Re-inserting his deck into his disk, he drew. "Now I set two cards face-down and one monster in defense. End turn."

CJ drew. "I'm not afraid of you or your traps. I summon this, Black Warrior Werewolf (1600/1000) in attack mode!" A jet black humanoid wolf appeared on his field and howled. "As long as he is in play, you can't trigger trap cards during the battle phase. That means you're all mine. Black Warrior Werewolf, attack his face-down monster and open his life points up for Rage!" The jet-black creature launched across the field and slashed the face-down monster in half.

Esmin tapped a button on his duel disk. "Your creature is good, but I have a magic card just for it. Activate Contagious Insanity! It will destroy your monster and deal its attack in damage to my life points! You will also take damage, but only equal to half of your creature's attack points." The face-up card shot out a beam of light that blew the wolf monster apart.

CJ- 7200

Esmin- 1900

CJ knew he didn't have a choice. His other monster had to attack. "Go Rage, attack his life points directly!"

Esmin flipped up his face-down card. "Now I can trigger my trap card without a problem. I activate Grave Tree!" (0/3000) A hideously twisted tree exploded out of the ground, its bark nearly pitch black and its limbs so gnarled and warped that the tree looked like a monster. "As long as this remains in play, every time that a monster card is sent to the graveyard, you will lose 300 life points. That's not its only special ability though. When I trigger its other effect, I may remove a plant-trap monster from my graveyard to negate an attack." A burst of white mist sprayed in the face of CJ's Ape, and the monster spun around and stumbled back to its master's field.

"And it works perfectly with my other card, Endless Despair! Now every time a monster goes to the graveyard, it counts as if it went to the graveyard five times. Every time a monster is lost, you're going to lose 1500 life points!"

CJ narrowed his eyes. "End turn."

_To be continued..._


	16. Seren comes a calling

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 16: Seren comes a calling

_Seren was crying, the tears streaming down his face as he looked upon the mutilated bodies of his mother and father. His father had tried to protect his mother, but the bullets he had taken in the back had gone right through into his mother's body._

_**("They died because of you and your weakness.")**_

_He screamed into the night sky, cursing his demon heritage and the humans who hated him and his kind._

**_("There is a way to make them all pay, you know? It's a magic that can make all of the humans go away, forever.")_**

_("Where...is it?") Seren tried to stand, but he was unable to. He was far too tired._

"_Freeze!" He heard a voice behind him yell in German. It was accompanied by the sound of guns being loaded._

_Seren didn't even turn around. It was hopeless. What purpose remained in fighting? If so many wanted him and his family dead, then who was he to argue? ("Just...let it be quick...")_

_**("Open your eyes and look upon your parents' bodies! Is that how you want to be!? Do you want to be remembered as a corpse who didn't even try to avenge them? WELL!?")**_

_Seren was crying more than ever. ("What can I do? I can't stop them from hating me. Why do they hate me!?") He spun around and screamed at the collected soldiers, who all took a couple of steps away from him. "WHY DO YOU HATE ME!?"_

_He heard the murmurings amongst them about 'demon child' and 'tortured him to death'._

"_Is that what you all think!? You judge me, just like that!?" Seren fell to his knees. _

_"Why?" He whispered breathlessly..._

"_Enough, just kill the little brat already," said one of the men. They all nodded and lifted their guns..._

_Seren lifted his head up, his eyes burning red. "Human scum," his voice was much deeper and angrier than before, "Before this night is done...you will all know terror."_

_The rest of the night was punctuated by explosions, and then screams..._

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_Esmin flipped up his face-down card. "Now I can trigger my trap card without a problem. I activate Grave Tree!" (0/3000) A hideously twisted tree exploded out of the ground, its bark nearly pitch black and its limbs so gnarled and warped that the tree looked like a monster. "As long as this remains in play, every time that a monster card is sent to the graveyard, you will lose 300 life points. That's not its only special ability though. When I trigger its other effect, I may remove a plant-trap monster from my graveyard to negate an attack." A burst of white mist sprayed in the face of CJ's Ape, and the monster spun around and stumbled back to its master's field._

"_And it works perfectly with my other card, Endless Despair! Now every time a monster goes to the graveyard, it counts as if it went to the graveyard five times. Every time a monster is lost, you're going to lose 1500 life points!"_

_CJ narrowed his eyes. "End turn."_

Esmin drew, smiling. "You're running out of time and out of ideas, aren't you? Your deck is the perfect offense, but what happens when you battle against a defense that cannot be broken down by your brute force tactics?" He slid two cards into his duel disk. "Anyway, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

CJ drew. "I won't surrender to the likes of you. My strategy has the power to beat you. All I need to do is find the right cards. First though, I'll sacrifice Rage to summon Manticore of Darkness." (2300/1000) A huge winged lion appeared on his field. "End turn."

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Rikuo and Jasmine felt it at once. It was the power of someone invoking a darkness game.

Normally they wouldn't do something like this, but when it came to people randomly calling upon powers like that, they couldn't take the risk that it would all just sort itself out. They forcefully took over the bodies of their other halves.

"You felt it too?" Jasmine asked calmly, though inside she was hurting at the prospect that she had to take control of her hikari's body like that.

Rikuo nodded and as one they climbed out of their seats.

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Esmin drew. "It's far too easy to win now. Reveal face-down trap card, Spirit Barrier. As long as this trap is in play, I will not take battle damage as long as I have a monster. Now I summon Sangan (1000/600) in attack mode!" A little three-eyed fiend appeared on his field. "Attack his Manticore of Darkness!"

His Sangan screeched and charged, getting torn to shreds before it ever made it halfway across the field. "And thanks to Endless Despair, Sangan's special ability, which triggers when it is killed while on the field, activates five times." He removed his deck from his disk. "That means I get to search my deck for five monsters with 1500 or less attack points and place them into my hand." He removed the five cards of his choice and then put his deck back. "It feels so good to retrieve everything I need to win this duel. Now all I need is a way to discard my hand, and you will take 7500 life points of damage. For now, you can just take 1500 from the loss of my 'five' Sangans."

CJ- 5700

Esmin- 1900

The fox demon smirked calmly. "End turn."

CJ drew. ("I gotta try and turn this around before he can wipe out my life points with that damned tree of his.") "I play the magic card Treasure of Fate!" A huge white die appeared in the air and then dropped to the ground, bouncing around. "Whatever numbers this land on will equal how many cards I draw from my deck."

The die stopped on a two.

"Alright, so I draw two cards from my deck and then remove the top two cards of my deck from the game." He drew his two cards and then took the next two and slid them into his back pocket. "And I finish my turn by switching Manticore of Darkness to defense mode." The bipedal winged lion slid into a crouching position on his field.

Esmin drew and slid a card into his duel disk. "The Cheerful Coffin, which means that I can discard up to three monsters from my hand. Thanks to the power of my Grave Tree, that's an instant 4500 life point worth of damage to you." Grabbing three of the cards in his hand, he slid them into his graveyard slot.

CJ- 1200

Esmin- 1900

CJ clenched his fist angrily. ("I hate this! What am I supposed to do to beat him!?")

"And then I set one monster in defense mode. Now come and attack me, if you dare." Esmin smiled coldly, knowing that CJ did attack and kill his face-down monster, then it would be over.

("There's way too much at stake for me to lose. Please...give me the answer to this problem.") He drew. "Alright, let's fix the problem your little piece of timber is causing me. I play the magic card Monster Reborn, which will revive D.D. Crazy Beast (1400/1400) to the field in defense mode." The red and teal googly-eyed monster reappeared on his field. "Then I sacrifice it and my Manticore to summon my newest secret weapon!" The two sacrifice monsters faded from the field, and were replaced by a burly warrior in incredibly heavy-looking armor. "I summon Lord of the Perfect Defense (0/5000) in attack mode!"

Esmin stared at the huge creature in confusion. "Why would you play a monster that has no attack points in attack mode?"

"Because I can also combine it with this, my Legendary Weapon Card! Go Guardian Maul! This will transfer the defense of my monster to its attack points, and then it doubles my creature's defense power." A huge-headed hammer appeared in the grasp of the warrior. "Now, attack his Grave Tree!" (5000/10000) The warrior launched himself forward and crushed the tree in one hit. "End turn."

Esmin drew with a scowl on his face. "You've got some definite insolence to try and scare me with a monster. Just for that, I'm going to make a fool of you with my ultimate creature. I play the ritual magic card, Doom Tree's Birth." He slid the rest of his hand into the graveyard. "Now I sacrifice all of the monsters I searched for and my face-down monster to summon Doom Tree!"

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Everyone arrived at the cargo hold at the same time, and the first thing to greet them was the spherical shape of a darkness game in progress.

"Why don't you people ever just have normal duels?" Deondre muttered while he went to go check on Amy, who was still unconscious. "It always has to be involving someone's soul being on the line."

Rikuo frowned at the sphere. "The Ape-Horse is in there. We need to get him out. Whoever he is dueling must be powerful, lest he wouldn't have been able to invoke the game in the first place."

Jasmine stepped right up next to him. "It's my brother...How?"

Ryu sighed from behind them both. "Stop being surprised when a new spirit shows up. It's getting old." He walked past them both and narrowed his eyes at the sphere. "I don't think I can break this seal. Not without time, and considering that it's a darkness game, I really can't do anything about it before the duel would most likely end."

Rikuo smirked and drew the Howling Sword from his side. "I'll get it open..."

Ryu spun around and cuffed him in the side of the head. "That's not an option. You know the rules of a darkness game. If you damage it, we have no idea what could happen."

"I was joking, you ass." Rikuo rubbed the side of his head tenderly.

_**("Come Rikuo, I wish to discuss something with you and your 'friend'.")**_

The ancient wolf spirit froze up at the sound of the voice in his head. ("Seren!?") A few seconds passed and he changed where he was aiming his mental 'voice'. ("Did you hear that Daniel?")

_("Yeah...but what does he want with us?")_

("He probably wants to try and kill us outright.") With the effort of turning on a light switch, Rikuo switched mental 'lines' and reconnected with Seren. ("Fine. How are we supposed to get to you?")

_**("Get your duel disk.")**_

Rikuo looked over at Ryu. "I'll be right back. If I'm not, then continue on without me." Before the dragon demon could get a chance to protest, the wolf demon shot past him and out of the cargo bay.

"Wait a...Rikuo!?" Ryu spun around and climbed up back into the passenger cabin, but by the time he reached where Rikuo should have been, no one was there. "Damn..."

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Esmin disappeared behind a black form that exploded out of the ground. As the form of the Death Tree finished forming, it wound up resembling a giant apple tree. The big difference was that apple trees were never pitch-black and instead of apples this tree had skulls hanging from its branches.

The grey leaves of the tree rustled, and then from a platform at the top of tree, Esmin emerged. "This, my friend, is my Doom Tree." (3000/4000) "And its special ability will bring down your 'ultimate' monster and the rest of your life points. By sacrificing cards from my graveyard, I can raise my tree's attack or defense points by 200 per card. So, I'll remove the seventeen cards in my graveyard to raise the attack strength of my Doom Tree by 3400 points." (6400/4000) The tree stretched its roots down to tear CJ's monster apart. "Attack his Lord of The Perfect Defense!"

CJ grinned. "That's your last mistake! Activate special ability, Perfect Defense!" The Lord of the Perfect Defense fell to one knee and attached the Guardian Maul to its back. The roots slapped its roots across the body of the warrior, but it had no effect on it. "Whenever my monster is attacked, I may switch it to defense mode immediately. That means the backlash damage will be enough to wipe out your life points! So I win!"

Esmin threw back his head and laughed wildly. "How quickly you forget my trap card, Spirit Barrier! As long as I have a monster, I cannot take damage from battle sources. Therefore, I'm completely safe as long as I have my creature in play. End turn."

CJ thought back to what he had seen on his opponent's field. ("He has one face-down card. It has to be a trap. My next card...has to be a good one. I can't hold off his tree for much longer.")

He drew. "Heh, you're in trouble now. I play the magic card Riryoku, which steals half of the attack of your monster and gives it to mine for one turn!" His Lord of the Perfect Defense was surrounded by a glowing aura of black energy. (8200/10000) "Now I switch him back into attack mode!" The warrior stood up and unhinged the Guardian Maul from off of his back. "Attack and end this now! Guardian's Slam!" Howling a battle cry, his monster struck the hammer into the ground and released a wave of energy that burned across the field towards the Doom Tree.

"Reveal face-down card, Mirror Force!" A glowing barrier of blue light shot up between the two monsters. The wave hit the barrier and dissipated. "With this, all of your monsters in attack mode will be destroyed. This duel is mine! Go Mirror Force!" The barrier spat out a shotgun like blast of energy that flew towards CJ's field.

"I'm not even close to done yet. Activate special ability, Perfect Defense!" The Lord of the Perfect Defense reattached the Guardian Maul to his back and crouched as he went to defense mode. It disappeared within the spray of energy, and then emerged from it unharmed. "Since my monster went to defense mode, your Mirror Force can't hurt it." ("That was close. I'd better not try that again.") "End turn."

Esmin drew his card and frowned. "I will find a way around that monster of yours. And as soon as I do, then you will be mine. Until then, I set this card face-down and end my turn."

CJ drew. "Keep on dreaming; because that's the only place you're ever going to be beating me. I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Esmin drew and smiled slightly. "Ah, this should make our game more interesting. I play the magic card Rose of Blood." The card shimmered and faded, filling the sky around them with rose petals. "With this card in play, each of us draws until we have six cards in our hand. Now this has become a duel of gentlemen, because my Rose of Blood magic card places a special restriction on both of us. We may only activate one card per turn from now on, and if either of us destroys the Rose of Blood, then we discard our entire hands. So don't try and be clever by crushing it." The fox demon drew his six cards. "And for my card, I play the magic card Healing Nectar. This will give me 500 extra life points for every plant monster in my hand." Snapping his hand around, he showed three monsters. His body was suffused in a golden light as his health was restored. "End turn."

CJ- 1200

Esmin- 3400

CJ drew and pursed his lips at the six cards he had. ("This is a long shot, but those tend to be the best.") "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Esmin drew and slid a card into his duel disk. "I also set one card face-down on my field. End turn."

CJ drew. ("Alright, just don't clear my field and everything will be okay.") "I set another card face-down and end my turn."

Esmin's lips curled into a cold smile that sent shivers down CJ's spine. "Activate face-down trap card, Sixth Sense." A white die appeared in the air in front of him. "Now I call the numbers five and six. If the die lands on those numbers, then I draw that many cards from my deck. However, if I am wrong then I place a number of cards equal to whatever comes up on the die from my deck into my graveyard." The die bounced around and landed on a six. "How fortunate for me." He drew six cards from off the top of his deck and added them to his hand. "That's not all. Since I did this during your turn, I can still activate a card right now." He drew and added the card to the stack that was his hand. "So many options..."

CJ grimaced and looked at his face-down cards. ("Damn...")

"Aha! This is the card I will play." The fox demon slid a card into his duel disk. "Thorn Storm will allow me to sacrifice a plant monster on my field to deal that monster's attack in damage to your life points. And all it will cost me is half of my life points." The Doom Tree shuddered and rustled, its body crumbling into dust. "Fire!" As if on cue, the monster's body sprayed out a wave of tiny needles that all were rocketing towards CJ.

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Rikuo felt his hair get whipped around in wind that he could not feel or hear. Then as quickly as the 'ride' has begun, it was over. Now he found himself standing within a large stone chamber, with Seren standing just a few feet from him.

"Greetings General. I was hoping that you would come. There's business we need to discuss." The crane demon did a shallow bow to Rikuo and then smiled so sweetly that the wolf demon was sure that he was going to get a toothache.

"Seren, are you so sure I came here to talk?" Rikuo tapped the Howling Sword, which was hanging from his side. "I could quite easily cut you down right now and save the entire world a lot of heartache."

"You could, but would that be any way to repay me for my gift to you?"

"I don't think pissing me off counts as a gift."

"Why does my head feel like it was just hit with a really big hammer?" Daniel muttered from right behind Rikuo.

The ancient spirit felt his heart leap into his throat. Spinning around, he found himself face to face with his hikari. "What the..."

Seren continued to smile sweetly at the confused look on Rikuo's face. "Don't you get it? I gave you your own body. You're alive again."

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: To thegymrat: Kenshin speak is good, that it is.


	17. The Gift of Seren

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 17: The gift of Seren

"_Why does my head feel like it was just hit with a really big hammer?" Daniel muttered from right behind Rikuo._

_The ancient spirit felt his heart leap into his throat. Spinning around, he found himself face to face with his hikari. "What the..."_

_Seren continued to smile sweetly at the confused look on Rikuo's face. "Don't you get it? I gave you your own body. You're alive again."_

Daniel exchanged stares of surprise with his other half. "You've...got your own body?"

Rikuo pressed a hand against his chest to be sure. "Apparently I do..." Bringing his head up, the demon met eyes with Seren. "How did you do this?"

The crane demon chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "It's the least I could do. As for the how, it's far too complicated of a process to waste your time explaining. For the lack of a better term, I simply separated your souls from one another. I know that it has been for some time, Rikuo."

Daniel slowly came to his feet and looked over the shoulder of his darker side. "Why would you give us any kind of gift at all? Aren't you our enemy?"

Seren nodded, the acknowledgement seeming surreal because of the smile on his face. "We are enemies, but not of the kind that you think." He snapped his fingers and the chamber they were in was flooded with light, revealing a huge stone arena. "You see, I have need of your skills in dueling."

Both wolves frowned at that declaration, giving Seren a glare that promised they would not work for him.

"That's not what I meant at all." Clearing his throat, the crane demon spun around and pointed to a mural on the wall of the arena. It showed a depiction of a giant wolf battling against a huge bird-like creature. "The words at the bottom...they speak of a prophecy..." Seren's voice had gone serious, and dark...

_Two beings of the darkness will battle in this place..._

_One good and one evil..._

_The evil wishing for the end of all that which is humane..._

_The good countering his opponent's acts..._

_It will be a war between brothers..._

_The battle to end all battles..._

_Blood will fight blood and the balance will be crushed..._

_Wolf against Darkness..._

_Enemy against friend..._

_Both lovers of war..._

Everything after that on the table underneath the mural was blank, the worn stone smooth.

"Are you starting to see, Rikuo? Fate decrees that one of us will win in a duel, and the winner of that will decide the fate of humanity." Seren turned around, his expression serious.

Rikuo didn't really believe that the tablet meant that, but he wasn't in a position to argue. "Alright then, but as you should know I'm not exactly a being of goodly nature. So which one of us is the being of evil, and which one is the being of good?"

Seren's crimson eyes shimmered in the light. "I have no idea. Perhaps we should discuss the terms though? After all, you cannot have a battle such as ours without making sure that everything will be fair. First off, it will be a Duel Monsters match that determines the winner, agreed?"

Rikuo sensed that something was wrong with this. ("I believe the words on that tablet, but I have a feeling like they have some kind of hidden meaning?") "Agreed. When we have our battle, it will be a Duel Monsters match."

A sharp cough snapped both of the demons out of their conversation. "So where exactly do I fit into all of this!?" Daniel didn't exactly look very happy with the prospect that he was simply brought here as a member of Rikuo's cheering squad.

Seren shrugged. "I don't believe the prophecy applies to you. By all means Rikuo, please take your other half and use him as counsel though. Our duel will begin as soon as your friends arrive. Until then, my attendants will bring you anything you wish for, cards included. Make sure your deck is ready, and please don't bring your tired old strategies to our battle. And with that, I take my leave of you. We will not see each other again until the duel begins, so I will see you then." He turned and strolled casually out of the chamber.

Rikuo looked over at Daniel and smiled. "I suppose we had better make sure my deck is ready for this, eh?"

Daniel's only reply was to mutter angrily at the fact that he was being left out of this entire thing.

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"_Aha! This is the card I will play." The fox demon slid a card into his duel disk. "Thorn Storm will allow me to sacrifice a plant monster on my field to deal that monster's attack in damage to your life points. And all it will cost me is half of my life points." The Doom Tree shuddered and rustled, its body crumbling into dust. "Fire!" As if on cue, the monster's body sprayed out a wave of tiny needles that all were rocketing towards CJ._

CJ smirked. "Esmin, I'm not defeated yet! Reveal face-down trap card, Hallowed Life Barrier!" A blue bubble of energy exploded around his body. "By discarding one card in my hand to the graveyard, I may negate all damage to my life points for the duration of the turn!" The needles slammed harmlessly into the bubble. "And since that was your card for the turn..."

The fox demon widened his eyes slightly.

"Draw!" CJ drew the next card off of his deck and then pointed at Esmin. "I switch Lord of the Perfect Defense into attack mode and order him to make a direct attack on your life points! You've...lost!" The burly warrior came to its feet and removed the Guardian Maul from its back. Hefting the huge-headed hammer, it charged across the field to strike Esmin down.

"Hold your tongue, brat! Reveal face-down Blood Seeker trap card!" The card flipped, but shuddered and exploded. "Impossible!!! Unless..."

"That's right," CJ held up the card he had flipped up. "I activated my face-down Trap Jammer, which negated your trap monster card. Esmin, this duel is over."

The fox demon smiled slyly. "You're partially right. I may have lost this duel, but I'm not quite beaten yet."

CJ's monster slammed its weapon down onto Esmin's body.

CJ- 1200

Esmin- 0

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The darkness game sphere shuddered and then crashed down upon itself, the shadows that had formed it disappearing instantly. Standing where it had used to be was CJ and Janeam, the latter face-down on the cargo hold.

And standing over Janeam was Esmin. The silver-white haired fox demon turned and smiled to his sister. "Ah Jasmine, how good it is to see you again."

Jasmine drew the Shadow Knives out of their sheathes and brandished the weapons. "Don't get me started on the reasons I should just drive these right into your heart."

Esmin turned away from her and smiled to CJ. "By the way, thank you for freeing me from your friend's body. It was too cramped in there anyway."

CJ clenched his fists angrily. "Now wait a second! You're supposed to be banished from existence!"

"Tsk tsk, we agreed that you would be banished if you lost. If I lost then I would get out of your friend's body. As you can see," he motioned to himself, "I am outside of his body. Because of the way the demand was worded, the realm of darkness had no choice but to give me a body." The fox demon bowed to CJ. "For that I am in your debt."

Ryu stepped forward, his body limed with a golden aura. "You know Esmin; I could kill you right now."

The white fox demon smiled knowingly. "Ah, but if you did, then who would show you how to get the two remaining key cards in one swoop, as well as find Seren's headquarters."

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("Wolf Demon Lord, in combination with Jinzo. That would form Steel Wolf General. Even though Seren would see it coming, it's too good of a combo not to use.") Rikuo placed the three cards in front of him in the "most likely to be used" pile of cards at his side.

"Anything I can do to help?" Daniel asked from the foot of Rikuo's bed.

"Yes, you can shut up and let me work," The wolf demon answered gruffly, before returning to his stack of cards.

Sighing, Daniel fell back on the bed. "I'm amazed that you haven't had more to say on the fact that you and I are separate now. I'd think it would mean a lot to you."

Sighing, Rikuo turned around in his swivel chair to look at his hikari. "Perhaps I am happy, but I would prefer not to get my hopes up over this. It seems far too good to be true."

"I can understand your hesitation, but maybe you should lighten up and try to enjoy this? After all, it's not like you don't have a bit more time before your battle with Seren." Daniel's voice was trying to be as upbeat as possible.

"Keh! I don't think I'm ready yet for this. Without the right cards in my deck, Seren is going to pick me apart in our battle. And if the fate of the world rests on my win, then I'll be damned before I screw up."

Daniel slid his hands into his pockets and withdrew a silver foiled package. "Perhaps now is a good time to open up that pack of cards that Pegasus gave us?"

That had Rikuo's interest. "Fine, but make it quick. I've still got to finish up the deck before nightfall."

Tearing open the foil, Daniel grasped the five cards and fanned them out to his other half. "Alright, pick two."

Rikuo grabbed the whole five. "Idiot! If these can help us, then I'm using all of them."

"You're no fun at all." Daniel pouted and sat back down on the bed.

Rikuo wasn't listening now. He was too busy studying the new cards.

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_Shield of Revealing Light_

_Continuous Magic card_

_As long as this card is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot attack. You must pay 1000 life points each turn to keep this card in play._

_Holy Sword of Light_

_Equipment Magic Card_

_You can only equip this card to a monster with 'Knight' in its title. The monster equipped with this card gains 1000 attack points and whenever it destroys a monster in battle, you may special summon one monster from your graveyard to the field._

_Last Ray of Hope_

_Quick-play magic card_

_This card can only be activated if you have 1000 or less life points. Draw five cards. At the end of the turn, discard your hand._

_Drill Mirror Force_

_Trap card_

_Negate an attack and destroy the attacking monster. Deal that monster's attack in damage to your opponent's life points._

_Leap of Faith_

_Place this card into your deck. It will bring you good luck._

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Rikuo stared at the last card. "Leap of Faith? What kind of rip-off is this!?" He tossed the card over his shoulder and placed the other four cards onto the table in front of him. "These I can work with though."

Daniel picked up the Leap of Faith card. "Are you sure it's so useless? Why would Pegasus give it to us if he didn't think we could win with it?"

"There is no 'we' in this duel. There's just me and Seren. I don't want you to get involved."

"Oh come on Rikuo, it's not like it's the first time we've ever been in a bad situation." Daniel made a big show of waving his hands and protesting against Rikuo's decision. While he had his other half's complete attention, he slid the Leap of Faith into the 'final deck' pile.

"No! I will not risk your life this time. Besides..." He stood up out of his chair. "I'm separate from you now. I will deal with my problems, and you deal with yours."

"Rikuo..." Daniel wished now, more than ever, that he was still able to at least read the basic thoughts of his counterpart. "We're a team. Do you really think that you can win this duel on your own? Seren will tear you apart!"

Rikuo responded to that by slamming his fist right into the side of Daniel's face, flooring the boy. "Shut up! You would dare to...." His words caught in his throat as he realized what he had just done...

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_Kilomet drove the spike deeper into Rikuo's chest. "Just remember, my little weapon...that this is what awaits you if you ever dare to question me again."_

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When Rikuo came back to reality, Daniel was already gone out of the room. ("Is that what I am to him? Am I to him what Sestros was to me? A tormentor...") Falling back in his chair, he felt tears well up in his eyes. "Daniel..."

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Seren sat silently in his chair, staring out the window of the small office he had set up for himself. The sunlight was streaming in on his face, and he felt so many conflicting emotions. ("This is my destiny...I will destroy Rikuo in our duel, and then remove the human race from the earth in one wish. The Purge will fix all of my problems...")

_("Why are you doing this? Killing the planet will not fix the problems of the past...")_ The voice in his mind was so small now, it was almost unheard.

("You dare to question me? Don't you understand!? You were there when they died...you were there when the humans took my family. No matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn't find it in my heart to forgive those who did it. Well now I won't have to forgive them, because I will simply wipe them off the face of the planet. That will be their repayment to me...")

_("Is this what you truly believe? Can you really defeat hate with hate?")_

Seren looked down at the floor, silence reigning upon his thoughts. ("Who are you? Why do you torment me with these damned questions?")

The voice seemed to gain innocence to it that even someone like Seren had to soften towards, if only a little bit. _("I'm what you once were. The little boy who lost his parents to hatred and bigotry...I'm the one who cries at night, and who feels the pain of every person, human or demon, that you hurt. I'm you, Seren....")_

("No,") he thought resolutely, while he looked back at his deck, which was ready before he had even called Rikuo to him. ("I am not you anymore...Seren Teska, the child, died long ago. All that is left is Seren Teska, the demon with nothing left but painful memories and a burning desire for revenge. Now get out of my head and leave me to my plans.")

The voice, as tiny and weak as it sounded before, somehow managed to become even frailer. _("Mother and Father......he is coming...and this time, I cannot shield you from him. Your innocence is gone, Seren...and with it, you are left with nothing but...pain.")_

As the last scraps of his better half faded, Seren felt tears well up in his eyes. ("Good-bye...I will miss you...")

**_("I see you have awoken to the truth about yourself, Seren. Are you ready to get started?")_** A deep and dark voice echoed in his mind.

("Yes...") Standing, he looked back out the window for a few seconds, and then his eyes hardened. ("I am ready to begin the preparations for my battle against Rikuo.")

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: Just wanted to say, once more, thank you all for supporting me while I've been writing this. The World Tour arc is starting to reach its end, though don't worry...before I'm done, you'll see at least a couple of impressive duels.


	18. The darkness begins

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 18: The darkness begins

He looked out at the forest that surrounded the remote location they were in. He'd been crying for the dumbest reason ever. ("Because he hit me...it's not like he hasn't done worse to me in the past...and yet, this time it hurt so much more than it should have.")

Daniel knew that he should simply trust in Rikuo, but every time he tried to convince himself of that, all he would succeed in doing is convincing himself that he should keep away from Rikuo until the battle was over. ("I'm distracting him...and since the world is riding on his win, I can't let my feelings get in the way of this.")

But if that was the case, then why was he unable to stop the tears from flowing?

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"Hey Siegfried, I don't think you should be doing that." Deondre dodged another hunk of falling rock. "I mean, we can seriously go and rent a cherry-picker. You don't have to climb all the way up there just to get the key."

The German Duelist smiled down at his worried friend. "Don't worry about it. I'm very adept at landing on my feet. Hang on but a moment and I'll get the card."

Jasmine frowned at her brother, who was lying back against a tree and watching the tiger demon lazily. "Why don't you go and get the key, brother-dear?" Her words dripped with a mix of venom and just plain distaste.

"Because, my loving sister, I want to see if the newest generation of demon-kind can scale a simple building." Esmin didn't actually care, but he just didn't feel up to scaling a building at the moment, so therefore that excuse would work just fine.

Ever since his waking up, Janeam had been staring at Esmin. "So...exactly how long have you been in my body? And, does the whole 'you being in me' thing make me a demon?"

Esmin yawned, stretching his limber muscles. "About since you were born and no."

Amy, after her horrible experience with Esmin, had elected to come with the group wherever they might have been going, just in case something evil and supernatural ever came onto the plane again. "Why are we tolerating him?"

"Because he knows exactly where the key cards are, as well as where we need to take them. Since Pegasus is mysteriously out of reach, we only have Esmin's word to go on." Ryu smiled slightly. "Don't worry Amy; he knows that if he dares to act out of line I will show him exactly why I consider the Grand Emperor Dragon to be true power of my people."

Even after hearing that though, Amy still decided that it would be best to stay near CJ, Deondre or Ryu at all times.

Allon sat back and yawned. "So...exactly where did Daniel go?"

"Daniel went where-ever Rikuo went, and that could be a lot of places." Deondre had just come back over to join the group. "I'm assuming it is somewhere that has to do with Seren, right?"

Ryu nodded. "I think so as well. Rikuo and Daniel are probably battling him right now, but that does not concern us. What we need to do is go and get the remaining key cards."

"Which we have starting....now." Esmin said in mock-cheerfulness as Siegfried landed to the ground, a pair of cards in hand.

The tiger demon walked over to the group and held up the two cards. "What's most amazing is that there were two of them up there. The Key of Gedi and the Key of Furit. Very strange indeed."

"Actually," Esmin said, "It's not that strange at all. Seren wants us to hurry up and come to him. He's got something that he wants all of us to see."

Jasmine snorted. "And how do you know all of this?"

"I have my ways, dear sister." Esmin stood up and brushed himself clean. "Shall we go now? We've got to pay our dear friend Seren a visit."

Everyone stood and got ready to leave, but one member of the group kept himself back until his friends were out of sight.

Ryu had made his decision. ("I can feel where you are, Rikuo. And I don't feel right leaving you in Seren's care.") Looking up at the night sky, the dragon demon smiled wistfully. "This evening, the Grand Dragon spreads his wings and flies."

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Rikuo cursed and stared at the Leap of Faith card that sat on his pillow. "Why can't I just throw you into the trash, where you belong!?"

Ever since he had struck Daniel, the wolf demon had entered into something of a deep trance. Each waking moment he had was locked into his deck-making now. Anything he could do to avoid dwelling on the painful realizations that had come to him, he would do.

Now if only he could figure out why his instincts were telling him to put that damned card into his deck...

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Seren sighed and leaned back in his chair. ("They've found the final key cards. Soon, the Purge will have exactly what it needs to continue.")

_**("And then it will begin...the darkness game that determines the fate of earth's population.")**_

("Yes...I look forward to it. My battle with Rikuo will be the pinnacle of my life. The deciding battle between me and him...")

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Deondre climbed out of the bus they had rented. "Let's get....hey, where's Ryu?"

Yawning, Esmin pointed up into the air. "He's about a thousand feet above us and currently flying at Mach four."

Everyone looked upwards, following his finger. There was a huge golden blur blazing across the sky.

"Is...that...Ryu!?" CJ looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack. "How...what the..."

Esmin rolled his eyes and walked towards the plane. "The whole lot of you needs to not be surprised. Do you really think that my real form looks like this? Of course it doesn't. Jourgen decided to get to Seren's location a whole lot faster than we could. So before the action starts without us being there, why don't we get a move on?"

As the fox demon walked away, Deondre glanced over at Jasmine. "Is he always so much of an..."

"Trust me, this is nothing compare to how he was in the past." Jasmine walked past the dog demon casually.

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Daniel looked at the office door worried. ("Should I really be doing this? I mean...it doesn't exactly seem like the wisest idea. Then again...") He knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Seren's voice on the other side of the door.

Cautiously, Daniel opened the door and walked in. The first thing he noticed was that it was pitch black in the room. "Umm, Seren?"

"I'm right here." The crane demon's voice came from behind the chair at the end of the room. "How interesting that you came to see me. I was just about to call you here. There was something that I needed to discuss with you."

Daniel didn't feel quite so worried. Seren sounded completely fine. "Yeah, well I had to talk to you about something too. It's about why you have to battle with Rikuo."

"Why? Because it is my destiny to. I must duel with Rikuo, and the winner determines the fate of the human race."

The half wolf-demon stepped closer to the desk. "That's insane! Why would believe that!? It doesn't make any sense."

Seren didn't reply.

"Well!?" Daniel leapt forward and spun the chair around, coming eye to eye with Seren.

In the darkness, Seren smiled calmly. "My dear boy, you know nothing of fate." Casually lifting the revolver he had been holding in his hand, Seren fired it right into Daniel's gut.

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Ryu could feel the wind blow past him. The simple joy of flying was something that he missed so much. ("I forgot its simple beauty.") Opening his jaws, he roared into the night and continued towards the island. ("It's a shame I am so fast. I'll be there in but a few moments.")

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Daniel stumbled backwards, his eyes wide. "What..." He somehow managed to avoid keeling over from the pain of the wound. "W...why!?"

Seren stood up from his seat, still smiling calmly. "It's simple...because if you die, then Rikuo will be driven over the edge. I want to get the most out of my duel and therefore, you must die."

"You....you son of a bitch!" Daniel lunged forwards, his claws splayed to tear through the crane demon.

Unfortunately, a bullet is a lot faster than Daniel could hope to be.

The first shot tore right into his shoulder, the force of the blast driving him backwards. He screamed in pain, trying with all his might to find the strength to attack. There was nothing left in him though...he couldn't pool together enough energy to do much more than stand. "Damn.....you..."

The second bullet ripped right into his chest, sending him to one knee. "I...will...not...." He found the strength to charge again.

The third bullet pierced into his heart, and yet he wouldn't submit. "You...cannot....." Daniel felt his vision getting blurry. "Rikuo...."

"Rikuo will do nothing, for he won't know about your death. Normally, he would feel a sharp sting when you died, but because of spells placed on his room, and because of how sound-proof his room is, he will hear and feel nothing. Now die..."

Daniel didn't bother to cry. Somehow, he managed to collapse into Seren, feebly hanging onto the demon's shirt. "W...h...y....?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Seren lifted the gun barrel to Daniel's drooping forehead.

("R...i....k...u...o...")

The final bullet went right into his brain.

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Ryu looked down upon the island, his mind still in the afterglow of the simple pleasure that he enjoyed so much...

And then he felt it...

It was like someone had torn a piece of his soul away. Like a piece of a bond had been broken within his heart.

For a few moments his wings no longer beat in the air. Instead, he hung like some kind of giant glider.

Then the pain faded, and his thoughts returned...

They were thoughts of revenge, more intense than any grudge he had ever held against Rikuo. ("SEREN!!!!!!!!")

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Said crane demon casually kicked the corpse in front of his aside. "He just had to get my suit dirty?" Pulling the cell phone out of his pocket, he pressed a number on auto-dial. Then he clicked his phone closed and put it into his pocket. "Now, I just need to wait..."

Casually walking over to his window, he saw the approaching Solar Stream blast that was now just a few hundred feet away. "Oh shit..."

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Ryu wasn't done yet. He felt the burning power of his attack build within his jaws. ("SEREN!!") He released another Solar Stream, the ball of golden flame slamming into the smoke cloud where his first attack had hit. This time though, it slammed into a red barrier of energy. ("You won't escape me!!") Ryu dove downwards, his wings outstretched and jaws wide. He had every intention of tearing straight through that field and swallowing Seren whole.

Seren frowned at the singe marks on his suit. ("Thank you for the quick save...")

_**("I would suggest that you don't thank me yet. He is still coming.")**_

The crane demon frowned at the approaching form that would soon be upon him. ("Heh, I know just how to deal with him.")

There was a bright flash of light, and he was gone.

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Ryu felt the teleportation spell, and he knew exactly where Seren had gone. ("MURDERER!!!") Changing course, he approached the mountain just a short distance away. ("I WILL KILL YOU!!")

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Seren stood on the top of the mountain, his duel disk already clicked into place. ("Come and face me. You'll be a good warm-up before Rikuo.")

The golden blaze that was Ryu flew over the top of the mountain, and then slammed down into it, exploding into a blaze of golden fire. When it cleared, it showed Ryu in his humanoid form, his silver eyes blazing in rage. "SEREN!!"

"Greetings Jourgen. How are you doing?" Seren was perfectly calm. ("I am fated to duel with Rikuo. You cannot stop me until then.")

Ryu felt the fires from his land continue to burn around him. "I...will...kill you. Killing you in cold blood won't be enough though. I will defeat you in a duel." His duel disk clicked into place. "If I win, then you will die!"

"That's fine with me. If I win, then the same applies to you." Seren already had his five cards in his hand.

Ryu drew his five, the fires still blazing around his form. "In the name of the life you just took, I will kill you!"

"We shall see...we shall see." The crane demon smile was completely confident.

_To be continued..._


	19. Final Judgment

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 19: Final Judgment

_Ryu felt the fires from his land continue to burn around him. "I...will...kill you. Killing you in cold blood won't be enough though. I will defeat you in a duel." His duel disk clicked into place. "If I win, then you will die!"_

"_That's fine with me. If I win, then the same applies to you." Seren already had his five cards in his hand._

_Ryu drew his five, the fires still blazing around his form. "In the name of the life you just took, I will kill you!"_

"_We shall see...we shall see." The crane demon's smile was completely confident._

Ryu felt his anger fade away beneath the countenance of a general. His mind cleared itself of all emotion. ("I cannot let my rage blind me...not yet.") "Since you're so sure that you will win, do you care if I go first?" His tone was impossibly calm.

"I don't care at all. By all means, go ahead and make the first play in the final battle of your life." Seren was still smiling calmly.

"Very well." Ryu drew and placed a card onto his duel disk. "I summon Gaius the Earth Dragon (500/2200) in defense mode." A dragon that looked more like a boulder than a living creature appeared on his field. "Also, I set two cards face-down on my field." The two cards in question shimmered into existence behind his monster. "End turn."

"The concept of defense doesn't fit you very well, Jourgen." Seren drew and placed down his card. "I summon Birdface (1600/1600) in defense mode. And I also set three cards face-down on my field." A hideous mixture of bird and human appeared on his field in a crouching position. "End turn. And just to let you know, I have been fated to duel Rikuo in the battle that will determine the master of the Purge. That means I cannot lose to you. Fate cannot be affected by you."

"Fate..." Ryu's calm face was slowly breaking back into its enraged form. "Is that why you killed him...because you think fate is on your side!?"

"The prophecy mentioned nothing of him at all. He was expendable. And with his death, Rikuo will be driven to give me his all in our duel." The crane demon explained this as if it was obvious.

Ryu felt his flames start to burn within his body. "Taking the life of an innocent being, all to follow some stupid prophecy. You...delusional fool!"

"Say what you wish, Jourgen. In the end, I will be the one who survives this battle. You, however, are going to be taking a long and painful trip to hell."

"The only being here who will feel the flame of hell is you!" Ryu drew. "Get ready, because if you want to see some hellfire and brimstone, I'll be glad to show it to you! Activate Polymerization, fusing Infernus the Pyro Dragon (2200/2000) from my hand with Gaius the Earth Dragon on my field!" There was a huge explosion and bits of ash rained down on the field. "Seren, meet Magmus the Lava Dragon!" From within the ash emerged a huge stone dragon, with veins of red-orange pulsing along its body. (2300/2200)

Seren wasn't impressed. "You think that creature can hurt me!? My monster is in defense, and I also have three cards face-down on my field. Would you really risk attacking me!?"

"Not quite yet. First I will reveal my face-down Silent Rebirth magic card, which will allow me to revive Gaius in defense mode." The boulder-like dragon reappeared on the field. "Then I sacrifice Gaius to summon Crystallis the Ice Dragon (2200/2000) in attack mode!" The boulder dragon disappeared and was replaced by a huge pillar of ice that looked like a dragon.

"One or two monsters won't affect my trap cards." Seren smirked and crossed his arms across his chest. "You're wasting your cards."

"I am not as dumb as you think. There is a reason that Crystallis is on the field. Reveal face-down magic card, Wingbeat of Giant Dragon! This requires that I send one level five or higher dragon on my field back to my hand." Crystallis glowed and then faded off the field. In its place was a huge dragon-like form in the air. It was made completely of flame. "Do you understand? Wingbeat of Giant Dragon will destroy all magic and trap cards on the field. Go Wingbeat!" The dragon form flapped its wings a couple of times and a huge wind storm picked up, destroying all of Seren's face-down cards.

Though all of his trap cards were destroyed in one blast, Seren still wasn't worried. ("Fate cannot be changed. I will battle Rikuo and the winner will decide the fate of the world. This cannot be my end.")

"Magmus, attack Birdface with Molten Flame!" The dragon roared and sprayed out a wave of thick magma that engulfed the bird creature, destroying it instantly. "And Magmus has a special ability that you should know about. When it destroys a monster, it deals that monster's attack in damage to its owner's life points.

Seren popped his deck out of his duel disk. "And you should know that when Birdface is destroyed, I may search my deck for any Harpy Lady (1300/1400) and place it into my hand." Grabbing the card he wanted, the crane demon placed it into his hand and re-inserted his deck into his disk. "As for the life point damage, it doesn't matter. I cannot lose to you."

Ryu- 8000

Seren- 6400

Ryu slid one card into his duel disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn." The card appeared in front of him.

Seren drew. "Why are you wasting my time, Jourgen? I could be doing much more important things than playing these little games with you."

"Seren Teska......you have lost your sanity in the belief that this prophecy will help you fix the shattered pieces of your life. I'd pity you, but that would dishonor Daniel's death, and that is not something I am willing to do for your sake. So make your move." Ryu no longer felt any fear that he might lose.

Seren slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set these two cards face-down on my field. And then I summon Harpy Lady in attack mode!" A much more beautiful hybrid of bird and woman appeared on his field. "Now before I begin crushing you, why don't you tell me why you care so much about the boy's death. It's not like you had any kind of relationship with him."

Ryu closed his eyes, the phantom pain that accompanied Daniel's loss still burning in his heart. "It's because he was part of a bond that I share with the five Demon Lords who protected the world before and again. While each of the Demon Lords would normally keep to themselves, at one point in time the Wolf, Dog, Horse, Dragon and Tiger Demon Lords had to band together against a powerful evil force that had risen against the world. After they defeated it, a pact was made amongst them that they would forever be brothers. So, losing Daniel is like losing a member of my family...and that," his eyes were now a strange mix of crimson and silver. "Is unforgivable!"

"Jourgen, you're such an emotional creature. Oh well, it's your loss that you decided to challenge me." Seren slid the last card in his hand into his duel disk. "Activate the magic card Elegant Egotist! This will let me special summon the Harpy Lady Sisters (1950/1800) to the field!" The Harpy Lady on his field screeched and seemed to break apart into three separate colors of herself, which then formed into a trio of harpies with different colored hair. The three new harpies moved close to each other, as their strength pooled together.

"Then I reveal my face-down magic card, Rose Whip." A thorny whip appeared in the hands of the red-haired harpy lady sister. "This will raise the attack strength of my Harpy Lady Sisters by 500 points!" (2450/1800) "Attack Magmus, and open his defenses!" The trio charged forwards, their claws outstretched to tear through the rock dragon.

Tapping a button on his duel disk, Ryu smiled. "Reveal Dragon's Gathering!"

Seren grimaced at the sight of the trap card. ("Damn...")

Ryu removed his deck from his duel disk and pulled out a card. "Now I can special summon any dragon monster from my deck to the field, as long as it can fuse with my Magmus. And trust me; the dragon I am choosing can fuse with anything!" Grabbing the card he slapped it down onto his disk. A cloud of smoke sprayed across his field. "I summon Haze the Smoke Dragon (0/0) to the field!" A black shape appeared on his field. "And then I will fuse Haze and Magmus together to form the ultimate dragon monster!" The two forms were pulled into each other, creating a spinning vortex of fire, rock and shadow.

Seren had expected the Grand Emperor Dragon. ("What's he summoning!?")

Finally the vortex faded, revealing the new monster. It wasn't very big, but its body gave it the appearance of being a demon straight out of the pits of hell. Covering its form were spikes of black crystal, and its jet-black body had veins of orange-red magma pumping within its shell. "This is the true demon dragon that I can summon! Diablous-Envoy of Death (3300/2700) in attack mode!" The dragon roared into the air, spraying hunks of ash and soot everywhere with its roar.

Seren had no choice. "I switch my Harpy Lady Sisters and my Harpy Lady to defense mode." The four harpies fell to their knees and threw their feathered arms up in front of them. "End turn."

Ryu drew. "You're out of your league, Seren. I'm far too powerful for the likes of you. Diablous attack his Harpy Lady Sisters and wipe out a huge portion of his life points! Hell Fire Wave!" The dragon opened its jaws and sprayed out a red and black wave of fire.

"Reveal face-down trap card, Mirror Wall!" A crystalline wall sprang up between the two monsters. "This will cut the attack of your pitiful dragon in half!" The fire wave slammed into the wall and then the wall counter-attacked by spraying some of the fire over at Ryu. (1650/2700)

Ryu- 7850

Seren- 6400

Ryu frowned at the sight of his dragon stumbling sickly. "I set one card face-down. End turn."

Seren drew and slid his Harpy Lady into the graveyard. "Now I sacrifice the pitiful Harpy Lady and summon the much more powerful Harpy Priestess (2000/1500) in attack mode!" A harpy lady in priestly robes appeared on his field. "As long as she is in play, all Winged-beast monsters have their attack increased by 400 points!" (2400/1500) (2850/1800) "Harpy Lady Sisters, attack his Diablous!" The three harpies stood up and charged; their claws ready to try and rend the dragon piece by piece once again.

And once more, Ryu was prepared for it. "Reveal my face-down trap card, Negate Attack! This will stop all of your attacks this turn and leave my monster safe and sound!" A swirling vortex appeared and stopped the harpies in their attack.

Seren clenched his fists. "How long are you going to skip and dodge, Jourgen?"

"Only until next turn." The dragon demon smiled calmly. He was in control of this duel.

"Then I end my turn." Seren pointed at his opponent. "Keep in mind that you cannot win against me."

"I'll make a note of that." Ryu drew. "And you should keep in mind that I don't intend to lose! I play the magic card Pot of Greed!" Ryu drew two cards off the top of his deck. "Now I play the field magic card Fusion Gate, which will allow me to fuse any monsters on my field without having to use the Polymerization magic card!" A neon green grid lit up along the field.

Seren shrugged nonchalantly. "That's not really a worry. What's the worst you can do with that on the field?"

Ryu slid his other drawn card into his duel disk. "I'll show you right now! Activate Card of Demise! Now I draw cards until I hold five, but in five turns I must discard my entire hand." In one smooth motion the dragon demon pulled five cards off the top of his deck. "This duel is almost over! Now, I first fuse together Dragon of the Storms-Typherious (2900/4000) and Grand Emperor Dragon (2000/2500) together to create Grand Emperor Typherious-Emissary of the Sky!" (4000/7000) He slid the two cards into his graveyard slot and watched as the enormous fusion of his favorite monster and his storm dragon appeared on the field.

"It won't be enough," Seren smiled and waved his finger in the air. "I'm familiar with that creature's effect, and it won't make any difference in the end. My Mirror Wall trap card is already face-up on the field, and that means that it cannot be negated by Typherious' effect. Sorry Jourgen, but that plan won't work."

Ryu slid two more monsters into his graveyard. "I think you're getting a bit ahead of you. I don't intend to beat you with them alone. First though, I fuse Crystallis the Ice Dragon and Shine the Light Dragon (0/0) from my hand and create the third piece of my plan!" A huge diamond appeared on the field. It shuddered and then exploded, spraying pieces of crystal across the field. The creature that emerged from it looked like it was made up of glowing golden crystal. "Seren, behold my third super dragon! His name is Crystallis the Divine!" (2200/6000) The dragon screeched into the sky, its cries joined by the roars of the other two super dragons.

Seren laughed into the night sky. "Oh foolish Jourgen, don't you understand that with my Mirror Wall on the field, any attack you would throw is suicide?"

Ryu lowered his head to the ground, his golden hair completely obscuring his face. "It's time, my friends. Bring yourselves together..." His hair was blown back as his golden aura sprang up around him. "...and show him that fate is for the foolish!"

Crystallis the Divine, Grand Emperor Typherious-Emissary of the Sky, and Diablous-Envoy of Death launched into the air, disappearing into the night.

Seren felt his skin crawling. "Wait...what you are doing...."

Ryu nodded and looked up at the night sky, which was slowly being lit up with the impossibly bright light of an approaching form. "That's right...I'm summoning the creature that will bring you down."

The cloud cover was parted to reveal a huge silver form hurtling towards the field. It was surrounded by ribbons of golden wind, and its silver eyes burned with the intensity that only rage could produce. When it was a few feet from the ground, it snapped its wings open and came to a perfect stop. Its heavy wind blasted across the field and nearly threw Seren over the edge of the mountain. The dragon was crouched now, its body obscured by shadow.

Ryu, still lined by his golden aura, lifted his hand into the sky. "The final blow is here! Hear my call, my god!" His hand lowered and pointed at Seren, who was still having trouble regaining his footing. "This fool has struck down my brother in arms...for that; he has left me with no choice but to summon your wrath. Forgive my transgression, but I must ask you to strike him down!"

The dragon went silent, its impossibly large form too quiet for words.

Seren held his breath, unsure what was going on. Every question he tried to ask was unable to pass his lips though. It was like he was standing on trial for a crime. ("What crime have I committed!? I am only fulfilling my destiny!")

A rumbling shook the earth as the eyes of the dragon lit up with golden fire. The scariest thing to Seren wasn't that the dragon was moving, or that its eye was bigger than his whole body, but was that it seemed to have reacted to his thoughts.

Ryu was trembling in anger, the phantom pain of losing his brother in arms still burning in his chest. "Seren Teska, you have been judged by the dragon god. He has read you soul and seen the truth about your thoughts. They are clouded with hate, and your excuses of fate mean nothing to him."

Stretching its wings outward, the dragon pushed its bipedal form to its fullest height. It was even bigger than the mountain itself now. Yet somehow, even though it was out of range of the holographic projectors, every inch of the dragon god could be seen.

"Now," Ryu said with such finality that it was impossible to dispute, "Before you die, I will tell you the name of your executioner. He was your judge, your jury and now he is your end."

Raising its head in line with Seren's side of the mountain, the silver titan began to charge a glowing blue-white ball of energy within its jaws. With every passing second, the ball got bigger and brighter, until it was forcing the very night sky to fade away in the face of the sun that burned against it.

Seren couldn't understand. ("But I've been decreed by fate! I cannot die by his hands!!! Rikuo is my enemy!")

_**("Seren Teska...you have been far too easy to manipulate.")**_

("What are you talking about!?")

_**("Give you some writing on a piece of ancient-looking plaster, and you bow before it like it is your fate.")**_

("........You're lying!")

_**("Believe what you wish. Your fate, though, is nothing simpler than to herald my resurrection. Perhaps you should have learned to control your anger, and rein in your hatred. Oh well, it's too late now. Good-bye.")**_

Seren watched the sun get larger still, and his eyes were clouded over with tears as everything that he had accepted and believed crashed down around him. ("Mother...Father....the other me......I was wrong. Forgive me...") He fell to his knees, crying for the wasted years of his life, for the pain and death that he had inflicted....but most of all, he cried for the fact that his life had meant nothing. "Ryu!"

That single cry brought the dragon demon out of his anger, if only for a moment. "It's too late..."

"That's not it!" Seren leapt to his feet, his eyes blurred with tears. "I'm sorry......I do not expect forgiveness, for I do not deserve it. All I ask is that you stop him, whoever he is!"

Ryu was listening, but he couldn't hold back his monster any longer. "Seren, it's too late for you. Bahamut-King of Dragons; Lord of Judgment....Omega Flare!" (Instant Win) The dragon released the ball of energy, which instantly turned into a wave of power that was rocketing down towards Seren at impossible speeds.

The crane demon didn't flinch away, or rant about his destiny being ruined. He had nothing left to be angry about. All that was left...was sadness. ("I am ready to start making amends...let this be my first apology!") Throwing his hands out, he welcomed the blast with open arms.

And as the explosion consumed him, he could have sworn that he saw himself as a child. And the child was smiling at him. _("You've done the right thing...")_

("I know....") And then the flare struck....

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Janeam saw it, but he couldn't believe it. "Look at the size of that thing!!"

Deondre, who was sitting next to him, nodded. "Yeah, that's insane. Even the Egyptian God Cards aren't that big!"

CJ and Allon nearly passed out at the sight of the thing.

Esmin, Jasmine and Siegfried couldn't hide their astonishment at the titanic dragon.

Then the shockwave from its attack hit the plane and they were all thrown about as the plane was threatened to be knocked out of the sky.

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Ryu never blinked during the whole thing. He turned to look up at Bahamut, and he smiled sadly. "My dear god, I thank you for your help."

Bahamut roared so loudly that the stone around him cracked. And then, like a mirage, he faded away.

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As soon as the darkness of the night reappeared, a loud clapping could be heard from within the smoking rubble that was all that remained of Seren's half of the mountain. "Jourgen, you're as powerful as ever, if not stronger."

Ryu spun around just in time to catch a blast of black energy right into his chest. He stumbled backwards, his eyes wide in surprise and pain. "You must be kidding me...."

"Don't you wish you were that lucky?" The smoke drifted apart and revealed a black and silver robed form. The tall figure stroked at his bone and flesh robes, a dark smile on his black bearded face.

"Garlin...." Ryu fell to one knee, the hole in his chest too painful to bear.

"Wrong...Giovan Garlin died long ago." The figure stepped out into the cold air of the night. "The King of Torture, Kilomet Sestros......walks the night again." His blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness. "And the world will soon know that, first-hand...."

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

To a neo okami named Wolfy: I don't normally reply to everyone's reviews, unless they have a question that needs answering.

To Darkstar71: Don't worry, you'll get explanations soon enough.

To thegymrat: Trust me, this is where the real battle gets started.


	20. The real Genocide King

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 20: The real Genocide King

_Ryu spun around just in time to catch a blast of black energy right into his chest. He stumbled backwards, his eyes wide in surprise and pain. "You must be kidding me...."_

"_Don't you wish you were that lucky?" The smoke drifted apart and revealed a black and silver robed form. The tall figure stroked at his bone and flesh robes, a dark smile on his black bearded face._

"_Garlin...." Ryu fell to one knee, the hole in his chest too painful to bear._

"_Wrong...Giovan Garlin died long ago." The figure stepped out into the cold air of the night. "The King of Torture, Kilomet Sestros......walks the night again." His blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness. "And the world will soon know that, first-hand...."_

Ryu gritted his teeth against the pain of the wound in his chest. "Why can't you just stay dead!?"

Kilomet's laughter echoed across the mountainside. "Don't you get it, fool? All of this time, you have been killing me. Over and over again. Yet what you fail to understand is just how many of me there are."

"How...many of you..." Ryu's mind flashed back to something in his past, a ritual he had seen once. "How!? You couldn't perform that ritual!!!"

"Yet I did. Thanks to it, pieces of my soul were sprayed across the earth long ago. During the five thousand years that they dwelled on the earth, each piece regenerated itself until it was another me. Each new soul found a dwelling, or in the case of Seren, they waited until the right opportunity presented itself to get within a body." The demon stretched his arms and listened to them pop satisfactorily. "Ah, it's so good to finally be free of that whining little brat. I must thank you for letting me out by killing his soul."

Ryu tried to summon up the energy to transform back into his dragon shape, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. The wound hurt too much. "What makes you any different from Giovan Garlin!?"

"It's because I am not him. He was nothing but one of my millions of masks..." Kilomet threw back his human skin cloak popped his neck.

"Millions..." Ryu felt his face grow pale at the prospect of millions of Kilomet Sestros. It seemed unfathomable. "I will at least kill this one of you, then!" He lifted his hand, a glowing ball of fire forming in his palm.

"How funny...you think you can beat me in my real form?" Lifting his arm, Kilomet threw up a shield of black energy that almost casually caught and shattered the ball of flame.

Ryu threw another blast, which also slammed harmlessly into the barrier. "Damn it....then I challenge you to a darkness game!"

Kilomet threw back his head and laughed, the sound mocking the dragon demon's challenge. "I decline your challenge. Sorry, but I've got to get ready for my duel with Rikuo." Waving his hand, a chess board appeared in the air in front of him.

On the white side, all of the pawns stood, as well as all of the other pieces, excluding a Bishop, which had fallen on its side. "That represents the loss of Rikuo's little half-demon pet."

Lifting his hand, the demon pointed at one of the Knights, which was starting to fall, though it still somehow held itself in the air. "That is you, my dear Jourgen. You're the Knight I am about to take from the opposing king."

While Kilomet had been talking, Ryu had been preparing to try and take his enemy with him. In his hand rested one ball of fire that was much bigger than the last one. In fact, it was almost bigger than the dragon demon was. "I never liked chess!" Throwing the ball of fire, he placed every bit of his remaining strength into the attack. ("Please work!")

Sestros snorted and waved his hand, the black energy that surrounded him responding to the command by slapping the attack away. "Stupid fool." The energy shot forward, piercing straight through Ryu's throat as well as a spear would have.

The dragon demon was dead before he ever hit the ground.

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Clutching his chest, Deondre felt like someone had just cut a line within his soul. ("Second time today...maybe I'm having a heart attack?")

CJ and Siegfried didn't look much better than he did at the moment.

Esmin knew what it meant, but thought it best not to say anything yet. ("No point in pissing them off if they can't do anything about it yet.")

Within Jasmine's head, Jennie still had yet to stop crying at the sting of the first loss.

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Sestros stepped past Ryu's corpse and looked out at the form of the approaching flame. ("If I wished it...") He looked back at the chess board, where the knight that represented Ryu had fallen. ("...I could clear the board of everything but Rikuo in one blast. Yet what would be the fun with that? I'd prefer to have a bit of fun with the Mutt before I kill him and the rest of the human race.")

Ever since Seren's loss of his parents, this aspect of Sestros had decided that it would break off from its other parts and follow a new aspect. ("Torture...it's so beautiful. Yet, I feel like I am missing something in my existence.") He knew what that something was. It was something that the original Kilomet Sestros had never thought to do. ("Destroy not mere thousands, but entire species...")

And the Purge was the perfect tool for it. Thanks to Seren's almost fanatical devotion about revenge, the crane demon had done all of the necessary research for Sestros.

The Purge was a special ritual that would activate when a darkness game was declared. It would push the level of the game to something that had never been achieved before. And that something was a level 10 darkness game. ("The two who do battle in that game are actually playing with the fate of the world.") No one knows who came up with the Purge, but once before had the Dark Demon Knights tried to use it, only to fail.

("I will not fail, for I know the perfect opponent to exploit. He has the strength to survive entering the game, and I know every way to crack him like an egg, psychologically.") "Rikuo Amero...you're going to help me kill off the human race, and then no demon will ever dare to question my power, as you did."

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After barely managing to land without crashing, things didn't get any easier for the group. First they needed to get the plane off the slope it had landed on, and then they had to make sure that everything was ready on it in case they needed to make a quick escape.

Now they were finally making some progress, though they still had a long distance to trek.

But every single one of them felt up to it...and they knew that their help was going to be needed.

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Sestros smiled as the last necessary preparations were done. Now, all that was left was to bring the guest of honor to the battlefield. Extending his dark will, Sestros pulled the proverbial plug on the spells that sealed Rikuo off from the outside. ("Now come to me, my little weapon.")

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Rikuo opened his eyes sleepily and glanced at the clock on the wall. ("Eleven thirty at night? Bleah...why did I wake up?")

The sleep cleared from his senses and he knew why. Shooting up out of his chair, the wolf demon felt a cold finger touch his heart. ("Who's been summoning magic like it's going out of style? And how did I not sense it before?")

A knock came at the door and then a muffled voice said, "Mister Amero? It's time."

Rikuo looked down at his new duel disk, and frowned as he cleared his thoughts of everything except his upcoming duel. ("Here we go. I will win this battle first, and then ask questions later.")

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Rikuo was escorted out of the building on the island and was brought to the mountain that rested nearby. The driver had explained that the arena was down there.

Minutes later, Rikuo stepped out of the car door, his face stern. ("I am ready for you, Seren.") In front of him stood a cave, at the end of which rested his opponent in this duel. ("Now, I will defeat you.") Taking a deep breath, Rikuo stepped into the cave.

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Sitting in darkness on a throne made up of bone, Sestros smiled and watched as Rikuo stepped into the cave entrance. ("And so it begins...now, let's see how you deal with what I am about to show you...")

Taking a sip of the fresh blood in his cup, he smiled and tilted his head back to let it flow down his throat. ("I forgot how good dragon demon blood tasted.")

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Sestros' Fun House

Author's Notes:

To thegymrat: Full swing time for the story. As for Bahamut and all of Ryu's other fusion dragons, keep in mind that you can only summon each of these creatures by using the monster cards. Fusion summon only.


	21. Sestros' Fun House

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 21: Sestros' Fun House

_Rikuo was escorted out of the building on the island and was brought to the mountain that rested nearby. The driver had explained that the arena was down there._

_Minutes later, Rikuo stepped out of the car door, his face stern. ("I am ready for you, Seren.") In front of him stood a cave, at the end of which rested his opponent in this duel. ("Now, I will defeat you.") Taking a deep breath, Rikuo stepped into the cave._

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_Sitting in darkness on a throne made up of bone, Sestros smiled and watched as Rikuo stepped into the cave entrance. ("And so it begins...now, let's see how you deal with what I am about to show you...") Taking a sip of the fresh blood in his cup, he smiled and tilted his head back to let it flow down his throat. ("I forgot how good dragon demon blood tasted.")_

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Minutes later, Rikuo found himself in a large chamber lined with mirrors. Cautiously, the wolf demon stepped into the chamber, fully expecting Seren to come out and start on some speech about how this was their destiny.

Instead, the opening behind him slammed shut and he was plunged into darkness.

Rikuo frowned and flexed his claws. "Come on out Seren. I'm not in the mood to play games with you. If you want your duel, then get your ass out here and let's start."

His answer was silence.

"You want to play head-games with me?" Drawing the Howling Sword, Rikuo willed the weapon to explode into its phantom flames. The room he saw wasn't the same room that he had come into. Lining the walls were all kinds of torture devices, ranging from flayers to things that Rikuo couldn't even comprehend the uses for.

The wolf demon felt shivers run down his spine at the sight of some of the machines. ("This place...I need to get out.") He remembered the general location of the door that was at the other end. Picking up into a run, Rikuo charged towards where he hoped the door was located.

What was waiting for him in the doorway was so wrong that it brought him to a stop.

One of the machines had moved into his path. And it was moving towards him slowly, its metal legs screeching as they pulled along the stonework.

Rikuo growled and swung the Howling Sword in front of him. "I don't what you are trying to pull Seren, but it won't work. And here I thought you wanted a fair match-up." Leaping forward, he slammed the flaming blade through the machine, cutting it clean in half. Without daring to look back and see what else was moving towards him, Rikuo charged out of the room, his feet carrying him away much faster than he thought he could go.

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Sestros sat back in his chair, a smile on his face. ("Now that I've got him spooked...let's employ phase two of my plan.")

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Allon sighed and collapsed against the side of a tree. "Can we stop now?"

"Nope." Esmin said simply from the front. "We won't be stopping until we reach the mountain over there." He pointed at the mountain that loomed off in the distance. "It shouldn't be more than a minute or two anyway..."

"That's what you think!"

Esmin spun around and eyed the figure that was blocking their path. "Who are you?"

The black-cloaked form flung its covering aside to reveal a leather-bound body, with the only visible parts being a pair of lidless eyes and lipless mouth. "I am Diabu, the Dark Demon Knight of Pain. And I'm here to get my revenge on the human who dared to defeat me!"

Allon stepped past Esmin, his duel disk clicking into place. "I'm ready for you. I didn't expect you to show up quite so soon though."

Diabu threw back his head and cackled. "I come and go as I please. And now...come forth, darkness!"

Allon watched as his friends disappeared behind the wall of darkness that was forming around them. ("Alright Exodia, let's see if you can pull off another win against demon boy.")

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Rikuo charged into the next room with his Howling Sword still drawn. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anymore mind games.

The contents of this room weren't anywhere near as bad as the last one. All that was in here was a simple table.

Rikuo still walked in like the entire room was going to attack him. "Well Seren? Have any other tricks that you would like to throw at me in another sad attempt to affect my psyche?" When he didn't hear anything, Rikuo walked a good distance around the table and started to head towards the other door, but froze in mid-step at the sound of crying coming from the table. The wolf demon spun around and stared at the new contents of the table.

There was a giant coffin, and etched into the front of it was the words, "Here lies the human race. May they rest in peace."

Rikuo growled at the coffin and drew his Howling Sword. "Seren, you childish little punk. You think that I'm going to lose, eh?"

The door to the coffin opened slightly and a voice from within whispered, "You already have..."

("That's it; I'm killing the coffin thing right now!") Rikuo charged forward, only to skid to a halt as the coffin opened open to reveal its contents.

"What's the matter," the Rikuo sitting inside the coffin said to himself. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

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Allon clenched his fist and drew his five. "Let's get this finished quickly, Diabu."

"Very well, my foolish human target." The pain demon drew his five and then his sixth card. "I'll start us off with Executioner Makyura (1600/1200) in defense mode." A demon wearing a pair of metal claws appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Allon drew and slid two cards into his duel disk. "I set two cards face-down on my field." The two cards appeared in front of him. "And then I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Diabu drew and wheezed slightly. "Ah...this is much better. I play the magic card Dark Designator! This allows me to call one card, and if you have that card in your deck then you must put it into your hand. I call Exodia the Forbidden One." (1000/1000)

Allon popped his deck out of his duel disk and a few seconds later was holding up the head of Exodia for his opponent to see. "Here you go, one Exodia head." Placing his deck back into his disk, the boy slid the card into his hand. "Anything else you would like to do to help me?"

Diabu slid four cards into his duel disk. "I set four cards face-down on my field. And then I flip one of them up. Activate the magic card Exchange! With it, we must each look at the other's hand and select one card. Both of us switch ownership of those cards, meaning that I'll be taking your Exodia head, while you get this Dark Coffin trap card that I have in my hand." The pain demon walked across the field and held out the single card he was holding. "Well? Give me my card."

Allon, his face pale, extended the Exodia card to his opponent, who snatched it out of his hand. It was replaced by the Dark Coffin card.

Diabu went back over to his field. "I'd like to see you beat me with Exodia if you can't assemble that damned thing." Reaching where he originally stood, he spun around and turned his Makyura card vertical. "Now I switch Makyura into attack mode." The demon warrior stood up. "Attack his face-down monster now!" It charged forward and slashed the face-down monster card apart.

Allon knew that he didn't have the head of Exodia, but he wouldn't let that stop him. "You attacked my Sangan (1000/600) which means that I get to search my deck for one monster card with 1500 or less attack points and put it into my hand." Popping his deck free of its hold again, Allon fanned out the cards and picked the card he was looking at. ("Right Arm of the Forbidden One.") (300/200)

"I hope you're not looking for Exodia pieces, because if you remember, you can only summon Exodia when you have all five pieces in your hand. And I hold one of them right now." Diabu's voice was horribly mocking.

"Don't worry Diabu, before this duel is over you will lose to Exodia." Allon clicked his deck back into place and drew. "Now I play the magic card Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards." Allon drew his two cards and added them to his hand. ("Now, how can I get those cards back from him?") He racked his brain for some kind of combo that could get the head of Exodia back into his hand, but every time he came up with something he remembered that he didn't have the cards needed for it in his deck.

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"Who are you?" Rikuo took a couple of cautious steps back from the Doppelganger.

"Who do I look like?" The other Rikuo replied evenly, landing on the ground. "I'm you."

"There's about a million reasons why that would be a lie," Rikuo raised the Howling Sword to point at his clone. "But I don't care to list them. So get out of my sight."

"I will in but a second, my dear self." The other Rikuo pushed the coffin aside and sat on the table, ignoring the nearly thunderous crash that came when the wooden box slammed into the ground. "I just wanted to let you know that the entire world is riding upon your win."

"So what else is new?" Rikuo wasn't a stranger to the weight of being the world's 'hero'. "If that is your big message to me, then you wasted my time."

The other Rikuo threw back his head and laughed sharply. "Oh my, you're such a headstrong demon. However, unlike all of the other times, you'll be going this alone. Daniel won't be there to pick up your slack."

"I don't need him to win this. Seren's not worthy of calling himself a duelist anyway. I'll crush him and then move on to save the world." Rikuo was getting really tired of this stupid mind games crap. "Now go away."

"One more thing, before I go." The doppelganger hopped off the table and stretched. "Just thought you might like to remember how you let Daniel down during the battle against Yamidra..." He didn't get to say anymore, as Rikuo took off his head with one sword slash.

Ignoring the all too real blood that was pooling at his feet, Rikuo turned and walked away. He still felt completely confident that he could win....almost completely.

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Sestros smiled from his seat as he watched Rikuo approaching the third and final room. ("First I force him to bring up his armor, then I make a little chink in his armor...and now I slam the proverbial axe right into that weakness.")

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Allon placed a monster on his disk. "I set this monster face-down and end my turn."

Diabu drew. "Now I attack you again with Makyura!" The monster launched forward and slashed through the face-down monster.

Allon's deck spat out another card, which he caught. "You attacked my Emissary of the After-life (1600/1000) and when it is destroyed, I may search my deck for one level three or lower normal monster. So I'll take an Exodia piece."

Diabu crossed his arms across his chest. "I end my turn."

Allon looked down at his deck and then drew. ("Come on....") Looking at the card, he smiled. "Your strategy to beat Exodia is good, but it can't beat this. I play the magic card Chain of Theft! At the cost of 3000 life points, I can steal one card from your hand for one turn. Then that card returns to your possession from whatever location it is in at the end of the turn. So I'll steal your Exodia head!" A golden chain appeared on his field and launched across it, stealing the card right out of Diabu's hand and flinging it over to Allon, who caught it casually. "Guess what..."

Diabu grimaced as Allon slid five cards into his monster card zone. ("Not again....no!")

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The darkness sphere disappeared, revealing only Allon. He looked back at the group and threw them a thumbs-up. "Let's keep going."

They all stared at him dumbly. He had been in there for exactly two minutes.

"What?"

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Rikuo entered the next room to find a speaker hanging above the other door. Other than that, there was nothing in the room. ("I think he would come up with something a little more elaborate...all of these second-rate tricks aren't really affecting me.")

"Welcome, my dear friend." Sestros' voice rang out over the speaker cheerily.

Rikuo froze up, his body locked momentarily in uncontrollable terror. And then he shook it off, the feeling replaced by pure anger. "You!"

"Yes me. I thought about it, and you've definitively improved your mental defenses since I last saw you, my little weapon."

Rikuo flexed his claws, glaring at the speaker like it was the demon himself. "Sestros! What are you doing here!?"

"What do you think, my dear boy? I'm here to let you know that Seren won't be able to duel you this evening, so perhaps I could provide some entertainment for you?" The demon king's voice sounded horribly sweet, but in a strangely bitter way.

"How about I simply rip out your throat when I see you!?" Rikuo crouched, getting ready to tear the speaker apart.

"Now now, don't do anything rash. Besides, I'm just through the doorway below this speaker. Now hurry up and come in, so that I can show you a little surprise."

Rikuo was already through the doorway before Sestros had even finished talking. ("I don't know how you came back, but this time I'll make sure that you stay dead!")

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Sestros smiled as he felt Rikuo approaching rapidly. ("Come on in, my little weapon. I'm in need of your services one more time. So let the hell games begin.")

Glancing behind him, he saw the chess board and a smile crossed his lips. ("So they killed Diabu? No matter. Unlike real chess....the black king has the power to take every piece on the board.") "Now come and see what I have to show you!"

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Rikuo charged into the final room, fully expecting a completely set up arena. Instead, he was standing at the entrance to an old theater. ("What the hell?")

"Greetings, my dear friend." Sestros bowed to Rikuo from his seat, which was hovering above the stage. "It's so good to see you again. How have you been?"

"Sestros...." Rikuo reached down to draw his sword, but felt an unseen force lock everything muscle in his body.

The Torture King floated out of his chair and landed right in front of his ex-General. "Dear Rikuo, were you going to attempt to kill me outside of our duel? I'm shocked and horrified that you would try such an ungentlemanly like thing. Isn't it just a shame..."

With a wave of his hand, Rikuo was launched through the air, landing with a crash into the throne that Sestros had occupied just moments before. "Now take a seat. I've got a little motion picture to show you." The chair spun around to face the stage, which had turned into a perfect representation of the cave entrance to the tunnel.

Rikuo couldn't even blink anymore. All he could do was staring at the cave entrance. ("What's....") His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of his 'friends' walking across the stage towards the fake cave entrance.

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Ever since they had taken down the last Dark Demon Knight that had gotten into their path, the group had seemed to be completely invigorated.

Allon, still hyped up over his super fast victory over Diabu, had taken the lead. "Come on, don't lag behind you guys!" He spun around and ran into the cave.

Just as everyone reached the entrance, Allon came running back out, screaming.

"Allon, what's..." Whatever words Deondre had intended to say were cut off as Allon's scream turned into a gurgling cry of pain. The red-haired boy stumbled forward, and then crashed face-first into the ground.

Standing behind him was Rikuo, the Howling Sword drawn. "I've been waiting for all of you." He licked the blood off of the blade. "It saves me a lot of trouble..."

Esmin already had his Shadow Whip drawn, but he was the only person amongst the group who was reacting to this. Everyone else was too frozen with pure shock.

Rikuo continued to approach them, his eyes pure crimson with the light of rage. "Now I'll kill you all in one fight. First though, the humans..." Leaping forward with speed that even left Esmin blinking in surprise, Rikuo drove the Howling Sword blade-first into Janeam's chest, and then he drove the weapon up, slashing right through the middle of Janeam's head. Everyone turned in slow motion, just in time to watch Rikuo snap Amy's neck.

And he had done all of this is just a matter of three seconds...

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Rikuo wanted to scream...he wanted to cry....he wanted to do something...

Yet there was nothing he could do...

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CJ charged, his fist raised to punch right into Rikuo's head. "You bastard!!!"

Catching the fist, Rikuo snapped his leg around and in one kick broke CJ's spine. Depositing his fourth corpse to the ground, his smiled darkly. "Well? Anyone else want to play the part of the hero?"

Siegfried, Jasmine, Esmin and Deondre all held completely still, each one of them battling with conflicting emotions.

Rikuo slid into a battle stance, a smile on his face. "Alright then...you're next, dog." With impossible speed he struck...

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No matter how hard Rikuo tried, he couldn't see Sestros for what the king was....he could only see himself doing this. It drilled deeper and deeper into his mind, breaking every bit of will he had remaining to fight against the paralysis that held him in place. Now he just watched, unable to stop the images of him killing his friends from searing into his mind.

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Deondre looked down at the sword blade in his stomach, and then over at its owner. "Rikuo....why....?"

"Because I'm tired of playing nice with you little weaklings...and because it's been too long since I've smelled the blood of a fresh corpse..." The wolf demon sneered and withdrew his sword from Deondre's gut.

Deondre felt tears develop in his eyes, as he imagined the reactions to his death from his mother and brother. "Damn....you...." By the time he hit the floor, he was dead.

Siegfried growled deep in his throat. "You murdering scum...we trusted you!"

Rikuo laughed. "Yes you did. That was the biggest mistake you ever made. I am Rikuo Amero, the General. I care for no one and hate all those who dare to make me angry. And guess what, kitty? You've made me angry..."

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("Siegfried......") Rikuo felt every fiber of his will starting to give way. He'd seen thousands of men that had trusted him fall at the hands of his enemies. But nothing had hurt as much as this....

Because he was doing it to them....

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Esmin actually managed to dodge the first sword strike, but he wasn't so lucky with the second one....

And now Jasmine was all alone, staring down the demon that over the last couple of days she had developed feelings for. "Rikuo..."

"They meant nothing, you little whore. Anything we ever spoke of, they meant nothing." He was approaching her slowly, the sword raised and ready to kill one more time.

Jasmine couldn't bring herself to fight him. She understood the truth about her feelings. Falling to her knees, she felt tears well up in her eyes... "I love you."

Raising the Howling Sword into the air above her exposed neck, Rikuo answered simply, "I don't." Then he brought the blade down.

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("The Phoenix Wings....they can save them....I just have to beat Sestros...")

The Torture King reappeared, though the horrific scene still stayed on stage. In his hand was a golden-backed card that Rikuo felt every one of his remaining hopes was instilled in. "These little things are powerful, eh? You can use them and restore everyone to life. Of course, that's only if they...." The card lit aflame, the edges curling inwards on themselves as Rikuo's last hope was reduced to ash, "...are in one piece."

("It's over....") Rikuo had no more fight left...

Sestros was next to him now. "And to think that it's all your fault. Yes it was me killing them, but only because you befriended them. Quite symbolic to how your life really is, eh? If people get close to you, they die. So technically, you did kill your friends. How sad that is...."

("Daniel...please be okay...please tell me that Jourgen protected you...")

"And now I have one last surprise for you." Waving his hand, Sestros moved Rikuo's chair to look upon something that was hanging in the rafters.

Hanging from a pair of iron crosses were Daniel and Ryu. Both of their bodies were horribly disfigured and damaged. Daniel still had the bullet holes where he had been shot, and Ryu's throat was still just a gaping hole.

"Behold the two martyrs....they tried to interfere with my plans directly. And for that..."

Rikuo watched numbly as Sestros raised his hand and fired a darkness blast that instantly destroyed Ryu's body. "Isn't it funny, my little weapon? Isn't it just hilarious how we always wind up hurting the ones we love. Like little Daniel, for instance...think of how many times that you have put him in harms way. And to think of what you were teaching him. He walked right into Seren's office and tried to convince my puppet to stop what he was doing..."

("Daniel....") Even with his body frozen, Rikuo somehow found the strength in him to cry at the sight of his dead light.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_Daniel looked around at his surroundings. He was standing the dark abyss that he had seen once before, but this time he was here of his own will. He looked out into the void and yelled, "I know you are here! Now show yourself Rikuo!"_

_For a moment silence reigned over the blackness, and then the cold voice that had been inside his head for so long murmured sleepily, "What do you want idiot?"_

_Daniel walked forward and strode into the shroud. The darkness around him parted enough that he could see the dark form of his changed self laying on the ground, looking like he was trying to sleep. "So there you are."_

_An angry growl came from Rikuo's mental body and he snapped. "Yes here I am. Did you come to gawk at me now that you know I exist?"_

_Daniel scratched the back of his head. "Calm down man. I just wanted to talk."_

_Rikuo yawned, his back still to Daniel, and he curled up. "Go away and let me regain my strength. I may need it if you get confronted by another of the Shadow Corporation's Emissaries. I just know you'll screw up and then I'll have to pick up where you left off."_

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_Daniel wandered into the darkness, scratching the back of his head. "Umm..Rikuo? You here?" When he got no response he feared that maybe the wolf demon had left. "Hey I'm sorry about the whole pissing you off thing!"_

_A growl from right behind him caught his attention. He spun to find himself face to face with Rikuo's golden eyes. Daniel didn't even have a chance to move before he found himself dangling in the air, Rikuo's hand curled around his throat._

"_You have some guts coming back here puny human!" Rikuo snapped his arm back and then forward, throwing Daniel across the expanse of his mind. Rikuo followed from right behind him, snarls sliding free of his clenched teeth. "I should kill you on the spot for daring to try and control me!" His foot came down hard on Daniel's ribs._

_("Oh boy...I'm about to die in my own mind,") Daniel thought dryly. He waited for Rikuo's claws to gut him, but the blow never came. The pressure on his ribs was relieved and he found himself hefted to his feet._

"_I had some time to think about it though and I have decided that you made the correct choice. You are forgiven for now." For Rikuo, that was the best version of an 'I'm sorry' that Daniel was going to get._

_Daniel nursed his ribs and glared at his darker self. "I hate you."_

_Surprisingly, Rikuo smirked proudly. "I know."_

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_Rikuo growled and his voice started to fade. ("Without me you're nothing but another weakling human. If you want my help in this then you had best talk to your friends. Otherwise, you can deal with this entire situation on your own.")_

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_Rikuo opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see a prison for his soul. Instead, he still sat in the forest. Jasmine was gone. ("Daniel, are you alright?")_

_When silence was his answer, Rikuo felt very cold. ("Daniel!?") Still there was no answer. He hesitantly reached out with his mind to connect to Daniel's thoughts._

_All he found was a single, lingering mote of light. As he brushed it vanished, leaving behind a message. ("Rikuo...save my mother. Watch your temper. Help the others. Get me back......")_

_Rikuo returned to his mind to feel tears drip down his face. ("He paid for my mistake....") His head lowered to the ground, and then snapped up as he howled into the night sky._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_I want to be free of you! This isn't my life, it's yours! I...don't...want...THIS!" He punctuated each sentence by throwing his hands up and motioning to the darkness around them. "I don't know what life was like for you, but for me life isn't supposed to be like this. I went to that tournament to find out information about my mother, and then I wind up becoming...you! I'm not your host! I'm your plaything! You're an insensitive jerk who I cannot stand. Yet I can't get rid of you because YOU LIVE IN MY HEAD!!!"_

_You're not even listening to me, are you? You don't even care!" Daniel slid a card from his hand into his disk. "Yes, my turn is done. So go ahead Rikuo, draw."_

_Rikuo drew and slowly looked up at his...hikari. "So that's what you think of me? I'm nothing but a parasite, hmm?" His features slowly twisted into anger. "I'm done with you!" He tapped the button on his duel disk that he had avoided before. "I thought about being gentle, and trying to sway you from this insane course you've decided to take, but now I'm done!! Activate Hell Meteor!" The card flipped up and up above Rikuo the sky tore open, revealing a pulsing dimension of fire and darkness. "And before you go and think that you are going to survive it, I reveal the card that means your doom." He slid the card he had drawn into his disk. "Endurance Drain, which doubles the damage of one magic card. Get ready to take 8000 life points of damage!"_

_Up above the wolf demon's head, a huge ball of red and black flames began to develop, getting larger and larger, until it loomed like a miniature sun over the battlefield. "Daniel...goodbye." The fireball dropped out of the sky, rocketing towards the boy._

_Daniel dropped his hand to the ground and fell to his knees. If there was one card that would have disabled him, it would have been the Hell Meteor. ("Not again...the flames...") He clutched his skull and crashed to the stone, quivering in terror. ("Not that place again...no...please...")_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Daniel didn't believe Rikuo at all. ("I personally think that you have fallen for her...charms.")_

_There was a few seconds of silence that seemed far too awkward._

_It was broken when Rikuo took control of Daniel's right hand and smacked him with it. ("You have some audacity to think such a stupid thing!")_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_("Maybe you like her?")_

_("Maybe you like Jasmine?")_

_Daniel's right hand slapped him again._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_Rikuo..." Daniel wished now, more than ever, that he was still able to at least read the basic thoughts of his counterpart. "We're a team. Do you really think that you can win this duel on your own? Seren will tear you apart!"_

_Rikuo responded to that by slamming his fist right into the side of Daniel's face, flooring the boy. "Shut up! You would dare to...."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

("He's hated me ever since I've become part of him...I've been nothing but his tormentor, I've been his Sestros. And now he's dead...I can't even apologize.")

Sestros smiled at the glazed over look in Rikuo's tear-soaked eyes. "Ah, my little weapon. Are you starting to see the fact that you are like a plague on this earth. You don't bring anyone happiness. You just bring hate, and pain.....The most amazing thing is that Daniel actually managed to tolerate your very loathsome existence within his body. Perhaps you should feel lucky that it at least seemed like someone enjoyed your company, if for only a small while." With a wave of his hand, Sestros' chair deposited Rikuo to the ground, and then its rightful owner sat in it.

("All I ever did was abuse and hate him. That's all I ever did to all of his friends and family...") With every remaining fiber in his tired being, Rikuo wanted to crawl up and die. Curling into a ball, he whimpered incoherently as his mind withdrew on itself.

Sestros felt the purest satisfaction at watching Rikuo give up. ("I don't even need to push any farther. He's a broken shell now.") Extending his will, Sestros forced Rikuo's body to stand up and begin to march towards the stage. "We will hold our darkness game, and then you will forfeit. I will immediately win and the fate of earth will be mine to choose."

Rikuo wasn't even able to hear him anymore...

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

To Lord Raven Drakon: You should never assume anything with me.

BOG23: The Phoenix Wings are already out of the picture.

To a neo okami named Wolfy: OO; Good lord woman, don't kill me!!!

To thegymrat: Not much to say. Just keep watching and I hope not to disappoint you.


	22. The Level 10 Darkness Game

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 22: The Level 10 Darkness Game

The stone arena that had originally been set up for the duel between Rikuo and Seren was now in use by Sestros as the location for the darkness game that would determine who chose the fate of the world.

It was a simple stone platform, with numerous different skulls, corpses and torture devices lining the walls. All of these had been additions made by Sestros recently, as he felt it made the arena more fitting.

("Not that it matters. All I have to do is coerce the broken shell across from me to say 'I forfeit' and I win.") Sestros looked at Rikuo, who was only standing because of the Torture King's control over his body. "Alright Rikuo, here it is. The long-awaited showdown."

Lifting his hands upwards, Sestros yelled, "Hear me, oh powers of the darkness. In this place and at this time, we invoke your ancient spirit! Now, bring it forth, the ultimate darkness game. Awaken!"

A haze of darkness fell over the arena, but other than that, nothing had changed.

Sestros knew the truth, however. This was it. "Ready Rikuo? Our duel begins now." Drawing his six, the Torture King slid a card into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down on my field and I set one monster in defense mode." The two cards appeared in front of him. "End turn." ("Now...")

Extending his dark powers, Sestros used one of the newer tricks in his arsenal.

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The broken shell that was once Rikuo Amero heard voices whispering in his ears...

_("What's the point in fighting? I'm just going to lose anyway...")_

_("I can't believe that I ever thought I had a chance of beating him...")_

_("Daniel...I'm sorry, but I can't do this...")_

_("It's over...the fate of the world rests on my winning, but what's the point? They're all dead...I killed them. I don't deserve any chance to be a hero.")_

_("I forfeit...")_

_("I forfeit...")_

_("I forfeit...")_

_("I forfeit...")_

"I.....for..." Unaware the words were even coming out of his mouth; Rikuo's mind withdrew deeper into itself.

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_Rikuo found himself standing in an all too familiar hall-way. ("This is Daniel's house.")_

_Childish laughter filtered out of a nearby doorway... ("And that's Daniel's room.")_

"_Rikuo, you're so funny!"_

_("What!?") The wolf demon, like a ghost, floated through the door and found himself in a room that looked exactly like Daniel's, and yet at the same time it was different. Instead of Duel Monsters posters and all kinds of random junk strewn around the room, it was clean and well-organized inside._

_And sitting in a corner, with a coloring book open in front of him, was a little boy who couldn't be any older than maybe five or six. He had bright red hair, and a pair of twinkling brown eyes..._

_("Daniel...") The mere mention of his hikari's name burned Rikuo like fire. And to see his light...... ("Why do I have this memory...? I wasn't awakened until he was at least sixteen. This doesn't make any sense.")_

_The little Daniel broke down into a fit of giggles. "Aw Rikuo, you shouldn't say so many mean things about Rebecca......"_

_Meanwhile, the real wolf demon was crouching, watching his light intently. ("Who can he be talking to? It can't be me, can it?") Then he saw what 'Rikuo' Daniel was talking to..._

_It was a little wolf doll that was sitting in the boy's lap..._

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"...got to turn on my duel disk." The numb Rikuo reached down and clicked the on button on his duel disk, the device sliding into place.

("WHAT!?") Sestros growled and extended his will again, the voices whispering in Rikuo's ears once more. "You little smart-ass punk! Think you can pull a fast one on me, eh!? I'll crack whatever mental defenses you have remaining soon enough..."

"I...for..."

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_Despite the pain that burned in his soul, Rikuo had to smile at the sight of his light being so innocent. ("I was his imaginary friend.") Resting his head in the palm of one hand, Rikuo sighed and listened while Daniel talked to him warmly..._

_And then the scene changed..._

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"...lorn the loss of my friends..." Rikuo's eyes filled with tears.

"DAMN IT! STOP DODGING!" Sestros pushed forwards with all of his will this time, completely intent on crushing Rikuo's remaining mental capacity. ("I will not be made a fool of by you!")

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_Daniel was in his bed, crying softly. 'Rikuo' was cuddled into his chest. "Why did she go......"_

_Rikuo grimaced and knew exactly what Daniel was talking about. ("It was his mother. This must have been when she left.") He still didn't understand how he had these memories, but that wasn't what concerned him now. What concerned him was the fact that his hikari was in pain, and he couldn't do anything about it. ("Daniel...please don't cry...")_

_The little Daniel slowly stopped crying, occasionally sniffling, but nothing more. "I'm scared Rikuo...I'm scared that she'll never come back..."_

_("She will come back. She'll come back and until then, I'll protect you.")_

"_You mean it?" Daniel whispered breathlessly._

_("Of course...I swear I will protect you with my every breath in my body.")_

_Daniel smiled happily and slipped into sleep._

_Tucking his hikari in, Rikuo understood now. ("His despair...it woke me up. It was only for a short time, but I was awoken...I swore to protect him.") Standing, the wolf demon smiled sadly. ("I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you from this...")_

"_Rikuo..." whispered the little form tucked into the bed. "I love you. Please don't ever leave me behind..."_

_Rikuo was crying, knowing that he had failed. ("I'm sorry kid, but I already blew it.")_

_**("Did you?")**_

_Rikuo spun around and found himself face to face with another spectral form. This one brought Rikuo out of his sadness instantly. ("Mother!")_

_The raven-haired form smiled warmly. **("Hi there Rikky. It's good to see that you have accepted what you did wrong. Now, are you ready to correct it?")**_

_Rikuo sighed and collapsed at the side of the bed. ("It's rather late for that, don't you think? They're dead, all of them. I can't bring them back without the Phoenix Wings, and those are broken. It's over...")_

_His mother's spirit smiled and faded away. **("I think you're forgetting...")** She reappeared on the other side of the bed, kissing the tear-stained cheeks of the little Daniel. **("...that song that I used to sing to you...")** Her calm voice began to sing softly, not just to Daniel, but to Rikuo as well..._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"I....for...fe...i..."

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"_**Wishing on a dream that seems far-off,"**_

"_**Hoping it will come today,"**_

"_**Into the starlit night,"**_

"_**Foolish Dreamers turn their gaze,"**_

"_**Waiting on a shooting star,"**_

"_**But...What if that star is not to come?"**_

"_**Will their dreams fade to nothing?"**_

"_**When the horizon darkens most,"**_

"_**We all need to believe there is hope,"**_

"_**Is an angel watching closely over me?"**_

"_**Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?"**_

"_**I know that my heart should guide me but..."**_

"_**There's a hole within my soul..."**_

"_**What will fill this emptiness inside of me?"**_

"_**Am I to be satisfied without knowing?"**_

"_**I wish, then, for a chance to see...**_

"_**Now all I need...**_

"_**Desperately..."**_

"_**Is my star to come..."**_

_As the song played in his mind, Rikuo clutched his hikari tightly to his chest. The words played in his soul, and reminded him that...there was always hope. "Daniel...I will protect you...if not in this life...then the next..."_

"_**When the horizon darkens most,"**_

"_**We all need to believe there is hope,"**_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"...t..." The haze enveloped his field.

("And I win...") Sestros thought calmly.

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_**("How can you beat Sestros? He still knows every method necessary to defeat you.")**_

"_**Is an angel watching closely over me?"**_

"_**Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?"**_

_("Then I will do the one thing that I didn't want to do. I will do it for Daniel...even if he is gone...") Rikuo gently tucked his hikari back into bed, and then stood to face the door to the room. It was glowing fiercely. ("I will die...")_

_Reaching out with his hand...he opened the door._

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Watching the swirling cloud of blackness that enveloped Rikuo's field, Sestros smirked superiorly. "I have won. Now the fate of the world is mine to decide!"

From within the darkness, one sound argued that fact.

It was the howl of a wolf.

The torture king felt his position disappear as a huge canine head broke through the shadow. A wolf's head the size of a car loomed over him, howling.

"It's too late Rikuo...you've lost." Sestros felt any initial amount of fear disappear. "I've won. The moment you forfeited, the fate of the world became mine to decide."

The wolf's head shrank into the shadow.

"That's right, now be swallowed by the blackness!" Sestros threw back his head and laughed.

"X-Head Cannon, attack his face-down monster!" A drill shaped blast of light shot through the shadow and blew the face-down monster card apart.

Sestros laughter caught in his throat as the smoke cleared to reveal a yellow and blue robot on his opponent's field. "How...you forfeited..."

"You should know that the shadows read what is in the hearts of the players. You used your tricks to force that response out of me," was the reply from the swirling darkness.

Sestros wasn't going to sweat about this. "Why would you bother fighting? It's not like you can bring your friends back. Your other self died because of your mistakes. Do you want to risk the world?"

"Your words are as meaningless as your existence..." The voice within the smoky mists sounded...different than before.

As the cloud disappeared, Sestros saw why... "Who are you?"

A tall form stood within the mists. He had raven-black hair streaked with lines of red. Upon his head was a pair of wolf ears that stood tall. Lean-muscled, his form wore a black and silver bodysuit. "Rikuo Amero could not defeat you. So he sacrificed his soul to create me." The speaker's deep and commanding voice sent shivers down the spine of the normally untouchable Torture King.

"Damn you! If you're not Rikuo, then that means he forfeited nonetheless! I still win!" Sestros was not going to allow this to happen.

The man opened his eyes to reveal a pair of crimson slotted eyes. "The darkness disagrees with you. It knows that Rikuo Amero still exists, just in a different form. This is what he is without the trappings that you placed upon him. As such, I suppose a new name should be given to me."

He smiled calmly. "How about Kaigen? I know that you gave that name to Daniel when he was under your control. It means 'open mind' in Japanese, and I'm sure you thought that a funny joke. Well now that name belongs to me, for I truly am an open mind, free of the pain and hurt that you placed on Rikuo."

"I don't care what your name is! I'll defeat you all the same!" Sestros lifted his bone and flesh duel disk, sneering. "Are you ready to fail and let the world fall under my control!?"

Kaigen slid two cards into his duel disk. "I am the guiding light that shields the world. Now I will fulfill the promise I made to Daniel, and take...you...down!" The two cards appeared behind his machine monster.

("This fool doesn't realize that even if I lose, there are still a million more of me to continue my plans.") "Alright then, Kaigen. Let's see just how powerful you are."

The reborn demon nodded. "End turn."

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

To a neo okami named wolfy: What can I say to that? :: Moves a safe distance away from Wolfy::

To thegymrat: Here we go. Final battle time...


	23. Sestros vs Kaigen The Final Battle begin...

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 23: Sestros vs. Kaigen; The final battle begins

_Kaigen slid two cards into his duel disk. "I am the guiding light that shields the world. Now I will fulfill the promise I made to Daniel, and take...you...down!" The two cards appeared behind his machine monster._

_("This fool doesn't realize that even if I lose, there are still a million more of me to continue my plans.") "Alright then, Kaigen. Let's see just how powerful you are."_

_The reborn demon nodded. "End turn."_

Sestros drew. "I just have to ask. Are you another facet of Rikuo?"

Kaigen's expression hardened. "I am the being that Rikuo would have been, had you not gotten your diseased claws on him. I am the true warrior, and the guiding light that will blow away all of your darkness."

"Tough talk, big man. Let's see you deal with my two face-down cards as easily as you make it sound. End turn." Sestros snapped his fingers. In the background, the horrid sound of his favorite instrument, the bone organ, played.

"Draw!" Kaigen snapped the card off of his disk and added it to his hand. "Sestros...why do you hurt people? Is it really that fun to do?"

The Torture King threw back his head and laughed. "Exactly right! The world is my plaything, as is Rikuo....and you."

("This is fruitless. He cannot be brought back from the darkness. Therefore...") "I will destroy you." Kaigen threw down another monster. "I summon Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300) in attack mode!" A yellow tank appeared on his field. "And now I fuse them together to create the mighty XZ Tank Cannon (2400/2100) in attack mode!" The two machines exploded into pieces that reformed into a giant blue and yellow metal tank. "Now I activate the special....."

Sestros tapped button on his duel disk. "I thought by now you'd remember my strategy. Reveal face-down Fusion Cancel continuous trap card! As long as this card remains in play, you cannot fuse or union any monsters!"

The XZ Tank Cannon shuddered and exploded back into the Z-Metal Tank and the X-Head Cannon.

Kaigen frowned at the trap card. ("Well, he hasn't lost his touch. Good, I want his loss to be a momentous one.") "Sestros, I will not be stopped by your trap cards. X-Head Cannon, attack!" The robot lifted its cannon barrels and fired a wave of energy that hurtled across the field towards Sestros.

"Reveal face-down trap card, Splash Damage!" Sestros' middle trap card flipped up. "This will negate your attack at the cost of me discarding a number of monsters from my deck equal to the level stars of the attacking monster." The Torture King's deck whined and spat out four monster cards, which he slid into the graveyard. "Anything else?"

Kaigen pointed at Sestros. "Why yes, there is! Z-Metal Tank, attack his life points directly!" The machine fired a single red beam of light out of its mechanical eye.

Sestros tapped another button on his duel disk. "Another failed attempt! Reveal Shield of Dead Spirits!" His graveyard slot whined and spat out a white mass of ectoplasm that absorbed the attack. "By removing an undead or demon monster from my graveyard, I can negate any attack. And this trap is continuous, so the only way to get rid of it is to remove all monsters in my graveyard!" Throwing back his head, Sestros exploded into laughter. "You'll never touch my life points!"

Kaigen grimaced but wouldn't let despair grab him. He wasn't in danger just because Sestros had a good defense. "End turn."

Drawing, the Torture King slid a card into his duel disk. "Now I set one card face-down on my field, and then I set one monster in defense mode. Do your worst, guiding light." He said the name like it was an insult.

"Draw!" Kaigen drew another card. "I summon Mechanical Chaser (1850/800) in attack mode!" A multi-armed machine wielding a trio of scythes appeared on his field. "Now attack his face-down monster, everyone!!"

Sestros motioned to one of his face-down cards. "Reveal face-down trap card, Dark Spirit Supplement! This will allow me to bypass the removal needed for my Shield of Dead Spirits, albeit only for one turn!" A huge wall of ectoplasm sprang up between the three monsters and the Torture King, negating their attacks against him.

Kaigen felt angry, but he wouldn't let it show. ("I'm not giving you anything to try and exploit.") "End turn."

Sestros drew and slid another card into his duel disk. "First I set one card face-down on my field. Now I'm ready to start tearing you apart. I sacrifice my face-down monster card to summon Curse of Vampire (2000/1500) in attack mode!" A pale-faced monster in robes similar to his appeared on the field. "Think of him as the ultimate undead monster. Attack his Z-Metal Tank now!" The vampire launched across the field and slashed its long nails through the metal tank, blowing it apart.

Kaigen- 7500

Sestros- 8000

Kaigen braced himself against the impact that struck him as the level 10 darkness game damaged his soul. "That was good shot, but you did exactly what I wanted you to do! Reveal face-down trap card, Line of Soul! When I lose a monster, I may pay 1000 life points to summon a four star or below monster from my deck to the deck." His deck spat out a card and he slapped it onto his duel disk. "And I choose to summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress!" (800/2200) A squat robot made of gears appeared on his field.

Kaigen- 6500

Sestros- 8000

Sestros shrugged his shoulders, the muscle tissue of his robes squishing sickly. "That's not a very impressive play. End turn." The Curse of Vampire on his field laughed darkly.

"Draw!" Fanning out his hand, Rikuo slid a card from his hand into his disk. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards!"

Sestros motioned to his face-down card, which flipped up. "In response, I activate my Grave Payment trap card! This can only be activated when you draw cards from your deck. It lets me discard two monsters from my deck and draw three cards!" His deck spat out two more monster cards, which he caught and slid into his graveyard slot. Then he drew three cards off the top of his deck and added them to his single card. "Thank you for providing me with the necessary opportunity."

Kaigen ignored Sestros; his attention focused more on the cards he had drawn. ("Alright, I've got a plan now.") "I set two cards face-down on my field, and then I'll switch X-Head Cannon and Mechanical Chaser into defense mode!" The two metal monsters threw their arms up in front of them, while two cards appeared on both sides of Kaigen's remaining one. "End turn."

Sestros drew. "Kaigen, could I speak with Rikuo?"

The wolf demon glared at his opponent. "No, you may not."

"Very well then, spoil-sport. I play my Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards..."

Kaigen tapped a button on his duel disk. "Not so fast, Sestros! I activate my Spirit Mirror trap card, stealing the effect of your Pot of Greed and giving it to myself!" Kaigen drew two cards off the top of his deck.

The Torture King slid a card into his graveyard. "Thank you, because that activated the effect of my Greed Devil. (300/800) Whenever my opponent stops me from drawing cards from one of my effects, I may draw three cards." He drew three cards off the top of his deck. "So thank you very much for the boost."

Sestros then slid two cards into his duel disk. "Now I activate the magic cards Grave Greed and Monster Reborn! First, I'll revive a monster from my graveyard through the effect of Monster Reborn. Come to me, Muka Zombie!" A strange black crab-like creature appeared on his field. (600/300)

"Then the effect of Grave Greed activates! By removing five monsters in my graveyard from the game, I can draw until I have ten cards in my hand!" He started to draw off the top of his deck until he was holding ten cards.

"The effect of my Muka Zombie triggers! It gains 500 attack points for every card in my hand!" The little black crab screeched and exploded in size, until it nearly took up Sestros' entire field. (5600/300)

Kaigen watched all of this impassively. "You're going to deck yourself at this rate."

("The fool doesn't understand that I completely want to deck out. My deck runs around that entire concept!") "Muka Zombie, attack his Gear Golem!" The black crab charged across the field, only to slam into a glowing blue barrier.

Kaigen motioned to his now face-up trap card. "Reveal Mirror Force! This will reflect your attack back at you and destroy all of your face-up attack mode monsters on the field!" The barrier turned bright white and then peppered Sestros' field with blasts of energy, blowing the two monsters apart.

Sestros raised his arms and let the pain of his monsters' deaths flow into him. "I love it! Death is such a powerful force!" He smirked slyly. "And so is undeath! Activate the special ability of my Curse of Vampire! Blood Pact of the Undead Lord!" A white-fanged ghost flew out of his graveyard and bit his neck. The Torture King sighed in delight at the feeling of his blood being removed. "By paying 1000 life points, I can revive my Curse of Vampire with an extra 500 attack points." The ghost unlatched from him and landed on his field, turning back into the pale-faced vampire. (2500/1500)

Kaigen- 6500

Sestros- 7000

Sestros pointed at Rikuo's Gear Golem. "Undead claw attack!" The Curse of Vampire flew across the field and slashed right through the monster's steel frame, destroying it instantly.

Kaigen threw his arms up and braced himself as the pain of his destroyed monster slammed into him.

The Torture King slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "And now I play the magic card Soul Strike! With this, I can sacrifice up to three monster cards in my hand to blast you for half of their total attack points!" He held up his three chosen monster cards. "Dark Necrofear, Archfiend Soldier and Death Kaiser equals a grand total of 2950 life points!" A black mass of ectoplasm sprayed out of the card and flew across the field, slamming into Kaigen and sending him skidding backwards.

Kaigen- 3550

Sestros- 7000

The Torture King wasn't quite done yet. "Then I set three cards face-down on my field. End turn."

"Sestros, don't think I'm out yet! Draw!" Kaigen drew his card. "I activate the magic card Heavy Storm, which will destroy all magic and trap cards on the field!!"

Sestros motioned to one of his face-down cards, which flipped up. "You think I'm that foolish!? Reveal face-down card, Dark Spirit of Memory!" He slid a card from his hand into the graveyard. "By discarding one card from my hand, not only can I negate your Heavy Storm, but I can also destroy the top five cards of your deck!" A black ghost emerged from the card and slammed into the holographic Heavy Storm card, blowing it apart. Then the ghost continued flying forwards, slamming into Kaigen's duel disk and blowing the top five cards away.

The wolf demon wasn't out of tricks yet, though. "I set two cards face-down on my field and end my turn."

Sestros drew. "You're not even making me sweat, fool. Activate the magic card Anointment of Torture!" He slid the remaining cards in his hand into the graveyard. "Now I summon my ultimate monster! Torture King, (2800/3000) awaken and bring your hellish power to this duel!" A spiked cage exploded out of the ground. Opening, a horrendous demon covered in all sorts of torture tools stepped onto the field. It threw back its head and laughed insanely.

Kaigen clenched his fist. "I'm not afraid of your creature..."

"I don't care..." Sestros tapped a button on his duel disk, and one of his face-down cards flipped up. "Reveal Polymerization! I will fuse Curse of Vampire and Torture King together to create the ultimate terror!" The two monsters were pulled into each other, a black vortex springing up where they met. "Now then, guiding light....meet my light-killing darkness!"

The vortex cleared and a hideous blue-skinned creature stood on the field. Throwing back its head, the monster cackled, revealing blood-stained fangs. "Kaigen, this is my Curse of Torture!" (3500/3000) "Attack his X-Head Cannon now!" The horrid beast launched across the field, claws arched back to cut through the metal monster.

Kaigen tapped a button on his duel disk, one of his face-down cards flipping face-up. "Reveal Widespread Ruin, which will destroy your strongest monster on the field!" An explosion of smoke and fire consumed the Curse of Torture.

Sestros lifted his hand into the air. "Invincibility of Darkness, activate!! At the cost of 1000 life points, I may revive my monster with an extra 1000 attack points!" The black-fanged ghost launched out of his graveyard and bit his neck, draining away his blood. "It feels so good...."

Kaigen- 3550

Sestros- 6000

As soon as the ghost unlatched, it changed back into the Curse of Torture. (4500/3000)

Kaigen grimaced at the sight of the reborn monster. ("Damn it.....how do I kill that thing!?")

Sestros pointed at the X-Head Cannon. "Finish what you started! Claw of Darkness!" It launched forward and slashed right through the metal monster.

Kaigen was nearly thrown out of the ring by the backlash. ("What...incredible strength!")

Sestros threw back his head and laughed along with his monster. "What's the matter!? Can't keep up!?"

"I'll show you! Draw!" Kaigen drew. ("Where's all of my monster cards!?")

Sestros sneered. "What's the matter? You look distraught..."

Kaigen slid a card into his duel disk. "End turn."

Sestros drew. "I play the magic card Grave Hand, which will drag your pitiful monster into the graveyard." A huge red arm exploded out of the ground and pulled Kaigen's Mechanical Chaser out of sight. "And then I'll attack your life points directly!" The monster launched across the field, opening its mouth wide to take a bite out of Kaigen.

Right before it struck, the wolf demon pressed a button on his duel disk. "Reveal Nutrient Z! This will let me gain 4000 attack points before your monster strikes!" Then the Curse of Torture bit down on his neck, draining him of huge quantities of blood.

Kaigen- 3050

Sestros- 6000

As the Curse of Torture withdrew its jaws from Kaigen's neck, the wolf demon crashed to his knees. ("It's too much...this darkness game...too powerful...") He collapsed face-first into the stone.

Sestros crossed his arms across his chest and snickered. "Exhausted? Drained? Unable to find the strength to continue? Welcome to reality. Even though you call yourself the guiding light, the fact of the matter is that you cannot defeat me. Last time it took both you and the Pharaoh to do that. Alone, I am your better."

Kaigen felt his soul begin to break. ("No....if I disappear, Rikuo will have to fight...alone...") The personality felt his body begin to go numb. ("Rikuo...I tried. You're all that's left.") With that last thought, the strength that Rikuo had summoned disappeared.

Sestros felt the change, and a sick smile came across his face as he watched the red streaks and strong body of Kaigen disappear. "Welcome back, my little weapon. I was hoping to see you again."

Rikuo felt cold and despaired.... ("I'm alone now...even after sacrificing my identity...it still wasn't enough...")

"Starting to see where you're going?" The Torture King threw back his head and laughed into the night. "FOOL! Did you ever think that you could oppose me!? I am your god!"

Rikuo curled inwards, feeling his sanity begin to break again. ("Someone...please help me...")

Sestros couldn't leave his side of the field, but he really didn't care. "You're all alone. But that's what you deserve, right? You killed all of your 'friends', after all. Perhaps you should come over here and take my place? Honestly, at least I make it known who I hate. You just make friends and then hurt them..."

Rikuo's mind was at its stretching point...he couldn't even fight. All of his strength had been infused within Kaigen.

Sestros drew. "Since you're not doing anything, I'll take this as you're passing your turn." His lips curled into the smile of a predator going in for the kill. "It's been fun, my little weapon. Now though, I have a world to decide the fate of. Curse of Torture, attack now!" The blue-skinned demon howled an unearthly cry and launched across the field, diving to drive its nails right into Rikuo's skull.

And he was too busy trying to keep his sanity in check to care...

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

To thegymrat: Sestros has got himself one powerful deck, in my opinion.

To GryphinWyrm7: I understand completely, my man.

To demeon of darkness: ::Shrugs and walks off::


	24. To insanity and back

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 24: To insanity and back

_Sestros drew. "Since you're not doing anything, I'll take this as you're passing your turn." His lips curled into the smile of a predator going in for the kill. "It's been fun, my little weapon. Now though, I have a world to decide the fate of. Curse of Torture, attack now!" The blue-skinned demon howled an unearthly cry and launched across the field, diving to drive its nails right into Rikuo's skull._

_And he was too busy trying to keep his sanity in check to care..._

Halfway across the field, the Curse of Torture was stopped in place by an explosion of lightning energy that threw it through the air.

Rikuo had found a lifeline...a single thread that remained of his sanity. He weakly came to his feet. "One of the five monsters you sent from my deck to the graveyard with your spirit trap was Electric Turtle. (0/1800) When it is in the graveyard, then I may trigger its special ability, which negates your battle phase." The wolf demon looked horrible. He was disheveled, and his eyes were twitching. "I....will not...fall..."

Sestros sighed and threw his cloak back. "Whatever you say, Rikuo. End turn."

Rikuo looked down at his deck, his tired eyes barely able to stay open. ("My last hope rests on the next card I draw.") He drew slowly, and held the card up with shaky hands. "I play the magic card Shield of Revealing Light." A glowing forcefield of green light appeared around him. As long as this card is in play, I cannot be attacked. And even though it costs me life points to use, if I play this Spell Economics card, then I won't have to pay at all." He tried to smile, but couldn't bring himself to do it. There was nothing to be happy about. "End turn."

Sestros drew. "You think your little light screen will keep me out?" Looking at his new card, he frowned. "End turn."

Rikuo drew, and a small flicker of hope appeared in his mind. ("His deck is down to eight cards. If I can keep this up...") Glancing at the card, he felt a small surge at the sight of a monster. "I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in defense mode." A red mechanical dragon appeared on his field, its metal wings folded around its front. "End turn."

Sestros drew. "I know what you are thinking. Trust me, I have a way in my hand to replenish all of my lost deck, if I so choose. End turn."

Rikuo could tell that Sestros wasn't lying...and every hope he had was gone.

"Rikuo," Sestros sneered and motioned to the arena around them, "Just so you know, take a look at some of the additions to the dueling arena."

Out of morbid curiosity, Rikuo looked. And he immediately wished that he could just slip into insanity and get it over with. Strung up along the walls were the corpses of his friends. At the sight of each one in turn, Rikuo felt another bit of his single life line begin to break.

Sestros saw it. He saw the single step needed to push Rikuo over the edge. Willing the dark chorus of his bone organs to play louder, the final push he needed appeared on the field in front of him.

Daniel's crucified form hung in the air next to the Curse of Torture. "Rikuo, do you see that. Say your good-byes, because I'm about to remove the last reason you have for existing." Sestros held up his arm, a ball of black energy pulsing within his grasp.

Rikuo's grasp on the life line was all but gone, and yet... "Don't do it..."

Sestros tossed the ball, and in one blast of energy, Daniel's body was gone. "Do you see what I imply? I can do anything I wish to you at any time of my choosing. You're my toy, Rikuo. However, I have grown bored of you, so it is time to go." Sestros threw back his head and laughed insanely.

Until a single roar of pure anger exploded from out of Rikuo's throat. The wolf demon came to his feet, red and black energy flowing around his form.

Sestros stared in confusion. ("He should be gone...his mind should have cracked...")

"Sestros....what do you have against me? Why do you torment me? But most of all...." Rikuo drew. "...how does it feel to have victory slip away from you!?"

"What!?" The Torture King still couldn't understand how this was possible. "How do you still have the will left to fight!?"

"I have the will left to fight because you just had to keep pushing, didn't you!? Well you got your wish, Sestros..." Rikuo slid the card into his hand. "You've pushed me past my limit. And unluckily for you, I've surpassed it! End turn."

This was exactly what Sestros had been hoping wouldn't have happened. ("Damn...he's been revitalized. I have to take him out, before it is too late!") Drawing, his saw that option was still out of reach. "End turn."

Rikuo sneered insanely. "What's the matter Sestros!?" He drew. "Are you starting to understand just how stupid it was to push me over the edge!?" The wolf demon threw back his head and laughed wildly, the sound strained and crazy. "I guess I should end my turn, eh!?"

Sestros drew, frowning. ("Damn...he's stark raving mad.") "End turn."

Rikuo drew, his eyes wild and glowing crimson. "Let's see what I drew, shall we!? Ah, that's a shame. I guess I have to end my turn!"

Sestros drew. He didn't fear Rikuo, but he knew that he had to be careful. In a way, this was the perfect advantage, because now the Torture King couldn't even begin to try and second-guess his opponent. "End turn."

Giggling crazily, Rikuo drew his next card. "Preeeetttyyy....." The fire in his eyes seemed to be dying rapidly.

Sestros, a master of torture, fully understood what was going on. And he felt relieved. ("Good, he's losing his grip on reality...I can win as long as I keep dragging this duel on.") "Well Rikuo, are you going to make a move?"

Rikuo was staring at the card he had drawn, his eyes wide and the crimson glow in them fading. ("D...dan...iel....") His eyes, golden again, came up to meet with Sestros' blood red irises. "Murderer....I...will...kill...you." Snapping the card around, he showed a green face with a big red button in the picture. "I play the magic card Reboot! This will end my turn and restart the game! So shuffle up Sestros, because this is where the duel gets dicey." He smiled, his sanity restoring itself rapidly. "Believe it or not, this was a gift from Daniel to me. 'To get me out of a tough situation,' as he put it. And now I remember why I can't lose to you!" The field shimmered and then faded away. "So start shuffling, and hope for luck."

Sestros shuffled his cards together, his expression dark and angry. ("Damn it, I removed six monsters from my deck thanks to my magic and trap cards. He knows this too.") Drawing his five, the Torture King grew pale. ("Not a single monster...wait, I still get to draw.") He drew the top card off of his deck. "I set one monster in defense, and then I set two cards face-down. Now bring on your best, you fool."

Rikuo chuckled and drew. "I understand now...it's amazing what a taste of insanity can give you in the insight department."

Sestros growled, the darkness around him intensifying. "What are babbling about!?"

Smirking, Rikuo slid his cards into a pocket. "Well, while I was out of my mind, I simple thought went through my head that answered all of my problems." He tapped his chin. "Now, the winner of this duel gets one wish, right?"

Sestros growled even lower. ("Shit, he figured it out.")

Rikuo pulled his hand free. "That was a pretty clever deception, Sestros. You tried to make me think that I couldn't bring them back because the Phoenix Wings were gone. All I have to do is beat you and I can wish everyone back to life." He waved his finger in the air at his ex-tormentor. "Sneaky little rascal, aren't you?"

"You...you bastard!" Sestros roared into the darkness, an explosive wave of force throwing Rikuo to the ground.

The wolf demon hopped back onto his feet and brushed off his suit. "Careful, I got this thing cleaned recently. Now then," He looked his hand over. "I'll set two cards face-down and summon Silver Wind-up Knight (1000/1000) in defense mode." A little toy knight made of silver appeared on his field in a crouching position. "End turn."

Drawing, Sestros frowned at the knight. ("What does that thing do!?") Since he still only had one monster card, he couldn't risk attacking. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "Sestros, thanks to you, I've gotten a lot of insight into my reason for existing. Thanks for your help." He smirked. "I'll repay you by making this quick. I summon Bronze Wind-up Knight (500/500) in defense mode." A bronze knight that was only half as big as the Silver Wind-up Knight appeared on the field next to its brother-in-arms. "Back to you, Sestros."

The Torture King roared, the ground cracking with his rage. "You insolent little punk! How dare you!!! It was bad enough that you thought I didn't hurt you, but for you to suggest that I helped you....that's crossing a line!!" His form lined in black, the king drew. "Damn it!!"

Rikuo chuckled. "Maybe you shouldn't have removed quite so many monsters from your graveyard?"

"End......turn...." Sestros looked about ready to murder someone.

"Draw!" Rikuo drew his next card. "And now it's time to get started on our Sestros smashing. I summon Gold Wind-up Knight (1500/1500) in attack mode!" A golden toy knight appeared on the field. "And now I activate that special ability of my three monsters! Combine together, and form my ultimate union monster!"

Sestros motioned to one of his face-down cards. "What makes you think that will work? Reveal Fusion Cancel!"

Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk. "Reveal Royal Decree, meaning that all trap cards will be negated!" The Fusion Cancel trap card shuddered and its face was covered by shadow. "Now, as I was saying, I union Gold Wind-up Knight, Silver Wind-up Knight and Bronze Wind-up Knight together!" The three metal knights exploded into pieces, and then the pieces all combined into one spot, forming a single towering toy knight. "And that creates Super Toy Knight (3000/3000) in attack mode!" The mechanical monster drew its sword.

Sestros snorted at the monster. "How ridiculous. What's that little piece of scrap metal going to do to me?"

Rikuo slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "I'm so glad you asked. You see, I'll first play the magic card Sacrificial Boost, which allows me to discard one monster card from my hand to gain a bonus of life points equal to its attack points." Taking a card in his hand, he slid it into his graveyard. "So I'll discard my Irios the Steel Monarch (2700/2300) to gain 2700 life points." He was surrounded in a golden light as the magic card recharged him.

Rikuo- 5750

Sestros- 6000

Sestros didn't understand what that had to do with the Toy Knight. "I don't think you've fully recovered from your insanity yet."

Rikuo slid the last card in his hand into his duel disk. "Just watch, you'll see. Now I equip the magic card Holy Sword of Light to my Super Toy Knight!" The metal knight' normal sword was replaced by a blade made of pure emerald green light. "This will raise his attack power by 1000 points, and it will also give him a special ability that I don't think you will like at all!" (4000/3000)

He pointed at Sestros' face-down monster. "Super Toy Knight attack!" The metal monster jerkily stomped across the field and slammed the weapon right into the Torture King's monster, destroying it instantly.

Sestros sneered and revealed the destroyed monster, which leapt through the air and drove its dagger right into the body of Rikuo's monster. Both creatures exploded into digital dust. "That was my Night Assailant (200/500) and when he dies, he kills one monster on the field. Whatever you had planned won't work now."

"Sestros, what I wanted to happen occurred the second my creature destroyed yours. You see, I get to revive one monster from my graveyard, thanks to the effect of my Holy Sword of Light. So I summon Irios the Steel Monarch to the field!" A humanoid machine made of gears appeared on the field. "Attack his life points directly!" It made a strange metal screeching noise, and then shot across the field to slam its fists down on top of Sestros' face, bringing him to one knee.

Rikuo- 5750

Sestros- 3300

Rikuo snickered at the sight of the Torture King in pain. "End turn."

Sestros slowly came to his feet, growling. "You should have stayed insane, because now I'll have to hurt you for insulting me!" He drew and added the card to his hand. "Prepare to burn, as I play the magic card..."

Rikuo smirked and flipped up his face-down card. "Not so fast Sestros! I play the quick-play magic card Guessing Game! Now I try and guess what card it is you are about to play. If I call it right, your card gets negated and I draw two cards. If I'm wrong, then you gain 2000 life points and get your card to go off."

Sestros smirked. "Thanks for the 2000 life point boost. You'll never be able to guess what card I am going to play."

Rikuo rolled his eyes. "Now let's look at the facts. You said, 'Prepare to burn." And only one card has that stigma with you. I bet you were going to play Hell Meteor!"

Sestros' eyes snapped wide open and he watched in horror as his beloved magic card faded away. "Damn you!"

Rikuo drew his two cards. "Tell it to someone who cares. Anything else? Or can I commence with pounding on your ass with Irios?"

"I play the magic card Grave Hand, sending your monster to the graveyard!" A huge red hand exploded out of the ground and pulled the steel monster out of sight. "And then I set one card face-down. End turn." The Torture King's eyes burned with unholy flames of rage.

Rikuo drew. "First I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards." He drew his two next cards and smiled. "Sestros, I'm about to knock you for another loop. Ready for it?"

"You'd better wipe that smug smile off of your face, you little punk!" The Torture King growled angrily and lifted his hand up, a ball of black flame glowing in his palm. "I'll kill you, I swear it!"

Rikuo stuck his tongue out at Sestros. "Bleah! Just try it!"

Roaring in rage, Sestros threw the ball across the field. Right before it hit Rikuo, it disappeared. "What!?"

Sighing, Rikuo placed a monster onto his duel disk. "Sestros, if this game is as important as you say it is, then you can't just hurt me directly like that. Now I summon X-Head Cannon and I attack your life points directly!" A blue and yellow robot appeared on his field, and then it sprayed a wave of energy over to the Torture King, blasting him right in the midsection.

Rikuo- 5750

Sestros- 1500

Rikuo slid a card into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn. Do your worst, my dear 'friend'."

Sestros snapped the top card off of his deck and snarled. "You're so confident that you will be able to bring them all back if you win. What happens if you lose!?"

Rikuo shrugged. "I'll worry about that if it happens. And from the look on your face, it doesn't seem very likely."

Sestros slowly went from angry to amused. "I see..." Throwing back his head, he roared in laughter. "You're such a fool. You think you can win, simply because you understand what the prize is!?"

Rikuo nodded seriously. "You have a problem with that?"

Barely able to hold in his laughter, the Torture King managed to breathe out. "Oh...not really...it's just that you won't be beating me!" Holding up the two cards in his hand, the demon king smirked. "See?"

Rikuo grimaced at the two cards. "Don't think that those will save you!"

Sestros calmed down, though he still smiled darkly. "We shall see, won't we?"

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: Alright, I've read a lot of reviews/feedback where people have been getting pissed at me for killing all of the characters off like that. Well I just need to ask you all to calm down and keep reading. In the end, have I ever led you astray?


	25. Sestros' Field Magic Card Flaming Abyss

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 25: Sestros' Field Magic card; Flaming Abyss

_Barely able to hold in his laughter, the Torture King managed to breathe out. "Oh...not really...it's just that you won't be beating me!" Holding up the two cards in his hand, the demon king smirked. "See?"_

_Rikuo grimaced at the two cards. "Don't think that those will save you!"_

_Sestros calmed down, though he still smiled darkly. "We shall see, won't we?"_

Rikuo grimaced at the sight of the cards. ("This might be a problem...")

Sestros tapped a button on his festering bone and flesh duel disk. "I activate the magic card Emergency Provisions, sacrificing all of these useless magic and trap cards on my field for something far more important. Since I'm destroying four cards, that's 4000 extra life points for me."

Rikuo- 5750

Sestros- 5500

The Torture King smiled and popped open his field magic card slot. "Now I'll play the field magic card Flaming Abyss!" All around them, the darkness grew deeper and colder, until all of them seemed to be lunged into it. "Are you starting to understand why you cannot win? Thanks to the powers of my Flaming Abyss field magic card, soon you'll be nothing but a smoking pile of ash on the ground."

Rikuo grimaced at his face-down card. ("I can't use it!")

Sestros smirked at the worried look on Rikuo's face. "What's the matter? Are you worried? Don't be, because my Flaming Abyss field magic card can only be activated when my field is empty." He looked down at his duel disk and gasped in mock surprise. "My, so it is!" Grinning, he slid the other card he was holding into his graveyard. "Oh well, I guess this will come as a surprise to you then. First off, all cards in both our hands and fields are sent to the graveyards!"

The darkness around Rikuo snatched the two cards in his hand and the cards on his disk, sending all of them into the graveyard slot.

"Now the Flaming Abyss activates its special ability. Each one of your standby phases, it will burn you for 100 life points of damage for each card in your graveyard." He smirked and clapped his hands together. "Now, let's see your amazing top-decking skills, my dear friend. End turn."

Rikuo looked down at his deck and frowned. ("Here we go.") "Draw!" Snatching the top card of his deck, Rikuo held it up to his face. "I summon Dark Catapulter (700/1500) in defense mode!" A strange bipedal metal turtle appeared on his field, with its arms out in front of it. "End turn!" The darkness around his shuddered and then sprayed his body with black flames.

Rikuo- 4450

Sestros- 5500

Sestros smirked. "Because of the ability of my Flaming Abyss, I may only draw one card once every two turns. So I'll draw my card for this turn, but I'll have to skip my next draw phase." Drawing his card, he slid it into his duel disk, the holographic representation of it appearing on the field. "And now the effect of Flaming Abyss gives me my benefit. For every card in my graveyard, it empowers me with 100 life points!" The darkness around him wrapped its inky tendrils against his flesh, all of the wounds he had sustained vanishing as it recharged him. "End turn."

Rikuo- 4450

Sestros- 6400

Rikuo drew, and a glowing bead of light appeared over the head of his Dark Catapulter. "Now I'll blast away your..."

"Like hell you will, reveal face-down trap card! Go Stasis Prison!" Sestros sneered as a cage of black energy appeared around the machine on Rikuo's field. "As long as this is in play, your creature cannot attack or use its special ability. Its defense is doubled though, so don't feel too bad." He threw back his head and laughed. (700/3000)

Rikuo looked at his remaining card and growled low in his throat. ("Damn it...") "I set one card face-down on my field, and end my turn." The Abyss screamed in his ear and sprayed him with more black flames.

Rikuo- 3150

Sestros- 6400

Sestros smirked and his graveyard spat out a card. "Since I cannot draw this turn, I will have zero cards in my hand during my standby phase, which will be perfect for the ability of my Return Zombie. (1000/1600) If I have no cards in my hand during a standby phase in which it is in the graveyard, then I may pick it up at the cost of 500 life points." He took the card and slapped it onto his disk, a horrific mummy-like creature appearing on his field in a crouching position. "And then I summon my Return Zombie to the field in defense mode. End turn." The Abyss wrapped its tendrils around him and infused its master with more dark energy.

Rikuo- 3150

Sestros- 5700

"It's my turn now...Draw!" Rikuo snapped the top card off of his deck, and another glowing bead appeared over the head of his Dark Catapulter. ("Not that it matters. Its abilities are locked away while it's in that prison.") "I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in attack mode!" A metal dragon appeared on his field and screeched.

"And then I reveal my face-down trap card Metalmorph, which will increase its attack points by 300. Also, when it attacks a monster, it will gain half of that monster's attack points for the duration of that turn!" The red metal dragon shimmered and was encased in a suit of steel plating that enhanced its look. (1800/1600) "Attack his Return Zombie now!" Opening its jaws, the Y-Dragon Head unleashed a blast of electrical energy that blew the undead creature apart.

"End turn." The Abyss screamed into his ear again and sprayed him with black flame.

Rikuo- 1750

Sestros- 5700

Sestros smirked at the pain that was burned across the face of his 'little weapon'. "What's the matter? Does it hurt?" He drew. "Now I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." The Flaming Abyss activated and wrapped its tendrils around him, charging his body with energy.

Rikuo- 1750

Sestros- 6600

Rikuo grimaced and looked down at his deck. ("Well? Are you gonna give me something to get me out of this bind, or am I on my own?") He drew. "I have to summon Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300) in attack mode!" A yellow tank appeared on his field. "And now I attack using Y-Dragon Head!" The red metal dragon opened its jaws and fired another blast of electricity.

Sestros chuckled mirthlessly as his face-down monster was destroyed. "You've destroyed my Dark Banshee (0/1600) and when she is destroyed I may wipe out all monsters on your field in attack mode!" A wave of sound rolled across the Abyss and slammed into the two monsters, blowing them apart.

Rikuo braced himself against the loss of his monsters, feeling his soul start to collapse in on itself. ("I just need to hold on a little longer. This will over very soon, in one way or another. Let's just hope it's the first one.") "End turn." The Abyss screamed into his ear again, sending waves of pain through his body.

Rikuo- 150

Sestros- 6600

Sestros' graveyard slot spat out the Return Zombie, which he placed on the field. "Since I can't draw, here's your big chance for revenge. Let's see you pull it off." His smile said that he wasn't worried. "End turn." The Abyss once more wrapped its tendrils around him, healing his body.

Rikuo- 150

Sestros- 7000

Rikuo drew his next card, and the beginnings of a smile appeared on his face. "Sestros...you should know that regardless of my past, I'm fighting for the light now." He slid the card he had drawn into his duel disk. "And the light has more power than the darkness could ever hope to have! Activate Last Ray of Hope! I can only activate this card when I have 1000 or less life points, and with its effect I can draw five cards. The only downside is I have to discard my hand at the end of the turn, but trust me..." He drew five cards off the top of his deck. "...that won't be a problem." Fanning his new hand out, the wolf demon looked his options over.

Sestros suddenly understood the truth about this duel. If he dared to hold back, then Rikuo would most likely destroy him. ("And that's not an option.")

"Alright Sestros, here we go. First I'll tribute my Dark Catapulter for something actually useful!" The metal turtle creature shuddered and exploded, taking its impromptu prison with it. In its place stood a wolf demon in samurai armor. "I summon Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000) in attack mode."

Sestros muttered something angrily at the sight of that particular monster.

Rikuo smirked. "Aww, what's the matter? Afraid he's going to drive his sword right through that heart of yours again?"

"Trust me, Mutt. That little warrior of yours won't be able to hold against most of the monsters in my new deck anyway." The Torture King didn't want to admit it, but the sight of the Wolf Demon Lord angered him.

Rikuo slid a card into his duel disk. "Then I play the magic card Return of Tribute." Sliding a card into his graveyard, the Dark Catapulter reappeared on his field in defense mode. "At the cost of one card from my hand, I can bring back my tributed monster from the graveyard for a turn. And one turn is all I am going to need for my Dark Catapulter to get rid of your Flaming Abyss!"

Sestros felt a drop of sweat bead on his forehead. "What are you talking about? How can that piece of scrap metal destroy my field magic card?"

A pair of bent metal rods appeared on the back of the Dark Catapulter. Between the pieces of metal a ball of yellow light appeared. "The Dark Catapulter's special ability allows me to remove one turn counter from it, as well as one monster from my graveyard. This will destroy one magic or trap card on the field." Rikuo motioned to the Flaming Abyss that surrounded them. "Now take a wild guess at what I am aiming for."

Sestros clenched his fist angrily. "You little top-decking..."

Rikuo smirked as the glowing ball of the Dark Catapulter started to shake violently. "Now I remove my Bronze Wind-up Knight from the graveyard to activate my Dark Catapulter's effect! Go Burning Shot!" The ball of light launched off the back of the turtle monster and launched into the night, exploding in one huge flash of light. All around them, the Flaming Abyss screamed in pain as it was banished from existence.

Sestros gritted his teeth, the darkness around his body so thick and pulsing that it seemed alive. "You....you...."

"I love you too, Sestros." Rikuo pointed at the Return Zombie. "Wolf Demon Lord, attack his undead monster with Howling Sword!" Slamming its sword into the ground, the wolf demon samurai created a wave of phantom flame that consumed the Zombie. "And thanks to the effect of my Wolf Demon Lord, your monster is not coming back!"

Taking a card from the remaining two in his hand, Rikuo slid it into his duel disk. "Now I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn." As per the effect of Last Ray of Hope, he had to discard the remaining card he was holding into his graveyard. The Dark Catapulter also let out one metal roar and then exploded. "Now let's see you worm your way out of this one."

Sestros had gone silent, the shadows obscuring his form.

Rikuo frowned. "Can you hear me? Or has the loss of your precious field magic card broken your brain?"

A few seconds passed in silence, and then Sestros threw back his head, explosive laughter flowing from his lips and sifting through the darkness.

Rikuo scowled. "I must have missed the joke, because I don't see how losing your best chance at winning is funny at all."

Sestros continued to laugh, the darkness echoing and amplifying the noise.

Trying to ignore the shivers that ran down his spine, Rikuo smiled slightly. "So, old man, have you cracked? Is it the end of your mental capacity?"

The laughter stopped. Sestros brought his eyes down to meet Rikuo's. "You're wasting your time trying to stop me. Don't you know that I can beat you with the next card I will draw, if I wanted to?"

"You're bluffing," Rikuo wouldn't let this frighten him. There was too much at stake for him to be scared. "So stop wasting my time and draw your card."

"Very well, my impatient little weapon. Draw..." The Torture King drew his card and giving it a passing glance, slid it into his disk. "I set one card face-down on my field. End turn."

Rikuo narrowed his eyes as the card appeared on his opponent's field. ("What did he draw? With a smirk like that on his face, it has to be a good card. Now the question is...what is it?")

Sestros saw Rikuo's hesitation. "What's the matter Rikuo? It's your turn. Don't tell me that you went and lost your nerve already?"

"Don't ever think that I'm a coward, like you are. Draw!" Rikuo snapped the card off of his deck. "I set one card face-down on my field." The card appeared next to his first one. "And then I attack with Wolf Demon Lord! Howling Sword!" Slamming its weapon into the ground, the demon samurai summoned up another wave of phantom flame that rocketed across the field towards the Torture King.

Sestros motioned to his face-down card, which flipped up. "And I was always curious whether you had the necessary brains to be my prodigy. I guess not. Reveal Shield of Dead Spirits!" A white wall of ectoplasm sprang up out of the ground and absorbed the wave of phantom flame. "Now I'll remove the 'useless' Return Zombie so that my trap card can negate your attack." His graveyard slot spat out the monster card, which instantly exploded into dust.

Rikuo frowned at the continuous trap card that now floated on Sestros' field. ("As long as he has demon and undead monsters to sacrifice, he can negate all of my...") The wolf demon smirked as he figured out something. "Sestros, your shield only has a maximum of two more shots left in it." He pointed at the Torture King's duel disk. "I count your Banshee and your Night Assailant in there. Other than that, I haven't seen a single monster enter that graveyard of yours since I restarted the game. You're running out of time, Sestros. And with the end of my turn, your time on this plane of existence is getting shorter by the second."

The Torture King drew. "Rikuo, don't you think you're just grasping at straws? What makes you think that I'm just going to sit here and let my Shield run out of sacrifices?" He slid a card into his disk and it appeared on the field. "And now I set one card face-down on my field. Let's see what you can do, eh?"

Rikuo drew. "Keh! This card won't help me. But then again..." He smiled and pointed at Sestros. "Wolf Demon Lord, direct attack!" The wolf demon samurai slammed its weapon into the ground again, creating another wave of phantom fire that rocketed across the field towards the Torture King.

"You have your moments of brilliance, but this isn't one of them. Reveal face-down card!" Sestros motioned to his face-down card, which flipped face-up. "Activate Dead Moon continuous trap card!" The darkness above them was parted as grey light fell down onto the field. "As long as this trap card remains in play, I can remove monsters from your graveyard to fulfill the effects of my Shield of Dead Spirits!"

Rikuo chuckled. "If you haven't noticed, my deck is almost entirely made up of machine monsters. Since you have to remove a demon or undead monster from the graveyard, that effect is useless to you."

The grey light flowed into Rikuo's graveyard slot and pulled out the form of his Silver Wind-up Knight. Something was different about the monster though. It was no longer made of metal, but of putrefied flesh...

Sestros raised his hand up to point at the sky. "My Dead Moon fixes that little problem, for it turns all monsters in both graveyards into undead creatures. That means that now I have the perfect food supply for my Shield of Dead Spirits." His smile twisted wider as the spirit of the Wind-up Knight flew across the field and caught the Howling Sword attack right in the face, exploding into pieces of ectoplasm. "And I'll be destroying your graveyard at the same time! So come and attack me, Rikuo. Watch as the spirits of your own monsters turn against you!" His unholy laughter mixed with the sounds of anguished moans and wails that came from Rikuo's graveyard slot.

_To be continued..._


	26. The Master of the Undead Sestros

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 26: The Master of the Undead; Sestros

"_You have your moments of brilliance, but this isn't one of them. Reveal face-down card!" Sestros motioned to his face-down card, which flipped face-up. "Activate Dead Moon continuous trap card!" The darkness above them was parted as grey light fell down onto the field. "As long as this trap card remains in play, I can remove monsters from your graveyard to fulfill the effects of my Shield of Dead Spirits!"_

_Rikuo chuckled. "If you haven't noticed, my deck is almost entirely made up of machine monsters. Since you have to remove a demon or undead monster from the graveyard, that effect is useless to you."_

_The grey light flowed into Rikuo's graveyard slot and pulled out the form of his Silver Wind-up Knight. Something was different about the monster though. It was no longer made of metal, but of putrefied flesh..._

_Sestros raised his hand up to point at the sky. "My Dead Moon fixes that little problem, for it turns all monsters in both graveyards into undead creatures. That means that now I have the perfect food supply for my Shield of Dead Spirits." His smile twisted wider as the spirit of the Wind-up Knight flew across the field and caught the Howling Sword attack right in the face, exploding into pieces of ectoplasm. "And I'll be destroying your graveyard at the same time! So come and attack me, Rikuo. Watch as the spirits of your own monsters turn against you!" His unholy laughter mixed with the sounds of anguished moans and wails that came from Rikuo's graveyard slot._

Rikuo growled low in his throat at the disk slot, and the wails inside died down a little. "Your morbid little tricks won't stop me, Sestros. I have the power of light on my side, and that can defeat your evil plans, no matter how powerful you think they are."

The Torture King looked around him mockingly. "The light? What light?" His arm swept back and motioned to the haze of darkness that surrounded them. "There is no light in this place. A darkness game does not know the difference between good and evil. It completely depends on the skill of the players. And if you haven't figured it out by now, I am far more skilled than you are."

"Oh? Then why do you need to hide behind your Shield of Dead Spirits?" Rikuo wouldn't let the worry that he felt show. This duel was not looking good for him, but that didn't mean he was finished yet. "Well, I'm sure I will find a way to take out your Shield soon enough, but until then I set one card face-down on my field. End turn."

Sestros drew. "The darkness hungers for a sacrifice and you will are next on the menu. I play the magic card Pot of Greed! As you know, this little staple lets its user draw two cards from his deck."

Pulling his two new cards free, the Torture King slid one of them into his duel disk. "First I set one card face-down my field, and then I play the magic card Blood Puppet Ritual!"

The card shimmered and turned into a ceremonial knife. "Now I may pay any amount of life points. After I have paid for that amount, I divide that number by 100 and special summon a number of Blood Puppet Tokens (200/200) to the field of my choosing!"

Grinning maliciously, Sestros drove the knife point-first into his arm. A fountain of blood sprayed outwards, forming into ten little humanoid creatures made of blood. "So I'll sacrifice 1000 life points to summon ten Blood Puppet Tokens to the field. And since these creatures are tokens, they don't take up spaces in my monster zone!"

The Blood Puppets lifted into the air and dangled above Sestros' field, hanging like marionettes without a puppeteer. "And these little monsters have a special ability that will win the game for me. You see, once per turn I can sacrifice one of them to deal its attack in damage to your life points!"

One of the ten Blood Puppets exploded in a spray of blood, leaving a blob of the black-red fluid behind. "Now, attack his life points directly!" The blob stretched until it looked like a spear, and then it launched through the air in an arch, headed straight for Rikuo's chest.

"Sestros, don't you dare think I'm that easy to kill! Reveal face-down card, Emergency Provisions! Now I'll sacrifice my two face-down cards to gain 2000 life points!" Rikuo's two face-down cards shuddered and exploded right before the blood spear slammed into his chest and sent him stumbling backwards.

Rikuo- 1950

Sestros- 6000

The Torture King shrugged innocently. "You're only delaying the inevitable. As long as my Shield of Dead Spirits is in play, your own monsters are your enemies. How can you win?" As if cue, Rikuo's graveyard slot began to echo out another chorus of anguished cries. "See?"

Rikuo wasn't going to let these cheesy special effects mess with his head. "Are you done?"

Sestros sneered knowingly. "End turn."

Rikuo drew. ("Alright, so he's got a whole lot of defense. That doesn't mean that I can't beat him though.") "I set one card face-down on my field. End turn!"

"What's the matter Rikuo? Why didn't you attack?" Sestros drew. "I suppose you finally got smart and realized that my Shield of Dead Spirits and Dead Moon combo is impossible to defeat?" He pointed up at his Blood Puppets. "Now, Blood Spear Strike!" Another of the ghastly creations exploded, firing a blood spear across the field that slammed into Rikuo's chest.

Rikuo- 1750

Sestros- 6000

Another Blood Puppet exploded. "Now I sacrifice a Puppet to summon my mighty Puppet master!" (0/0) A horrible demon dressed like a clown appeared on the field. "And he has a very special ability that will leave you screaming in fear. By paying 1000 life points, I may revive three monsters from the graveyard."

Rikuo frowned angrily. "Now wait a second! That creature's special ability only lets you revive monsters from your graveyard!"

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong. Thanks to Dead Moon, I can access your graveyard for any effect." The Puppet master cackled and threw its hands into the air. Three beams of green light shot from its clawed fingertips and flew into Rikuo's graveyard slot. A few seconds passed and then the three chosen cards were removed and brought over to Sestros.

Rikuo- 1750

Sestros- 5000

Catching the three cards, the Torture King chuckled. "These should be fine. First, I summon them all to the field!"

The first creature to appear looked like a giant corpse. Huge hunks of decayed flesh hung off of its frame, and it threw back its head to let out an echoing howl of hunger and pain. "Say hello to Irios the Undead Monarch!" (2700/2300)

Right next to it was a strange mixture of bone and flesh, with a pair of long bone cannon barrels on its back. "And my X-Head Zombie!" (1800/1500)

The final creature appeared behind both of them. It looked like some kind of horrible armored zombie, with a bone sword in one hand and a rib-cage shield in the other. "And finally, my Super Zombie Knight!" (3000/3000)

Rikuo growled in pure anger at the perversities of his monsters that were on Sestros' field. "You sick bastard..."

Smirking, the Torture King motioned to his three new monsters. "Because of the ability of Puppet Master, I cannot attack with the monsters I have summoned this turn. I'll have to end my turn for now." The new zombie monsters on his field wailed in hunger and started to move forward, only to reined in by the Puppet Master at the last second. "Now now, my little pets. Calm yourselves and give the dog a chance to fight back."

Rikuo couldn't take it anymore. "Sestros, those monsters were Daniel's long before they were mine...and for making such mockeries of them, I will crush you and them one by one! Draw!" He drew his next card. ("Brilliant speech, but how do I back up my claims?") Sliding the card he had drawn into his duel disk, the wolf demon took a shallow breath. "I set that card face-down, and end my turn."

Sestros drew. "My little undead creatures can't be held back anymore." He pointed at Rikuo. "Super Zombie Knight, attack his Wolf Demon Lord!" Groaning in a mix of rage and hunger, the hideous monstrosity lunged forwards.

Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk. "Reveal face-down Mirror Force!" A glowing blue barrier snapped up between the two of them. "This will reflect your attack back at you, and destroy every attack mode monster on your field!" The barrier blocked the sword swing of the Zombie Knight and then struck back with a shotgun-like blast of energy that blew the three zombies and the Puppet Master off of Sestros' field. "What a shame, your precious little perversities bit the dust."

Sestros motioned to one of his Blood Puppets. "Attack his life points!" It exploded and slammed another Blood Spear into Rikuo's chest.

Rikuo- 1550

Sestros- 5000

Rikuo, despite the burning pain he was feeling all over his body, managed to smile winningly. "Is that the best you can produce?"

Sestros waved his finger in the air. "Do you remember during the Shadow Tournament when you used Mirror Force on me? Now what did I activate?"

The wolf demon paled. "Mass Restoration..."

Tapping a button on his duel disk, his face-down card flipped face-up. "That's correct! Reveal Mass Restoration! This will bring back all of my dead monsters, but it will immediately end my turn." The ground shook as the three undead creatures that Sestros had created broke through the earth and reappeared on the field, followed by the Puppet Master. "So draw your next card, Mutt."

Rikuo drew. ("Come on...come on...") He turned the card enough that he could see the face. ("Jourgen....")

Sestros watched his opponent stare at the card he had drawn for a good minute, at least. "So what's the matter? Didn't get the card you needed?"

"Actually, I got the perfect card for this situation." Rikuo snapped it around to show it to the Torture King. "See? It's Brain Control!" A purple brain appeared on his field and released a wave of energy that fell over the Puppet Master. "And thanks to its effect, your sick little monster maker will obey me for one turn." Cackling mindlessly, the clown fiend floated over to Rikuo's field.

Sestros snorted. "Have you forgotten that I have taken the most powerful monsters out of your graveyard already? The effect of Puppet Master is useless to you."

Rikuo flipped up his face-down card. "Who ever said that I was planning on using its effect? I just need it for a sacrifice. Activate Kamikaze Infusion! Now I will sacrifice your Puppet Master to destroy all undead monsters on your field!" The fiend screamed in pain and exploded, filling the whole field with white light. When the light faded, Sestros only had his five remaining Blood Puppets on the field.

The Torture King narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything.

Rikuo pointed at one of the Blood Puppets. "Wolf Demon Lord attack!" The demon samurai slammed its sword into the ground and created a wave of phantom flame that burned across the earth towards the bloody mannequin.

Until the ghostly form of Rikuo's Irios exploded out of the wolf demon's duel disk and absorbed the attack.

Sestros' unreadable face slowly broke into a calm smirk. "I see you had forgotten about my defense combo. That's a shame."

Rikuo clenched his fist angrily at the foolish mistake he had made. ("Damn it...how can I get around that Shield of Dead Spirits?") "End turn."

Drawing his card, the Torture King glanced at it and then placed a monster onto his disk. "I set one monster in defense mode. Now I'll attack your life points with another Blood Puppet!" Another of the morbid creatures exploded into a blood spear that slammed into Rikuo. "End turn."

Rikuo- 1350

Sestros- 5000

"Draw!" Rikuo snapped the top card off of his deck. "End turn."

Sestros drew. "Once again, you remain locked out. How long until you crack like the fragile little egg that you are?" He motioned to his face-down monster card, which flipped up to reveal a decayed camel. "Activate the special ability of Des Lacooda!" (500/600) "When it is flip summoned, I may draw one card. And then I will use its special ability to flip it back face-down!" The camel shimmered out of existence, a face-down monster card in its place.

After he drew his card, the Torture King pointed at Rikuo. "Blood Puppet, direct attack!" Another of the creatures exploded and slammed the wolf demon in the chest.

Rikuo- 1150

Sestros- 5000

"And then for the finale to this turn, I set two cards face-down." Two cards appeared on both sides of the defense combo on Sestros' field. "Now take your turn."

Rikuo drew his next card. ("My deck is running out of cards. At this rate, I will wind up decking myself...") "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn." A horizontal card appeared on the field next to his Wolf Demon Lord.

"That's all you can do." Sestros drew. "After all, any attack on your part would just destroy the monster supply in your graveyard." Motioning to his face-down Des Lacooda, Sestros sneered as it flipped up and then flipped back face-down. "And that's an extra card for me."

He drew and added the card to his other two, before selecting one and sliding it into the last open space on his duel disk. "I activate the continuous magic card Blood Moon. As long as this card is in play, all monsters on the field are now undead. And that's not all, for my card has another special ability. It also raises the attack of all undead on my field by 200 points per every undead creature in play."

Lifting his hand into the sky, the Torture King exploded into laughter as a blood-red light fell down onto the arena. On Rikuo's field, the Wolf Demon Lord collapsed to the ground in pain as its skin and flesh fell away in huge hunks, leaving it a withered and undead creature.

Rikuo's eyes flashed dangerously at the sight. "Sestros...you...you..."

"And now is the perfect time to bring back an old friend. I sacrifice my face-down Des Lacooda to summon Curse of Vampire!" Sestros' face-down monster disappeared and the pale-faced vampire monster stood in its place. (2000/1500) "And then the special ability of my Blood Moon activates, raising my creature's attack points by 200 per undead monster on the field. And since that is every creature, he gains a 600 points increase!" (2600/1500)

Rikuo grimaced at the sight of the Curse of Vampire growing larger, its form now lined with black light. ("There must be a weakness on that thing...")

The Torture King pointed across the field at the moaning Wolf Demon Lord. "Undead Claw Attack!" His Curse of Vampire launched across the field and slashed the pitiful remains of Rikuo's once mighty warrior apart.

Rikuo felt the loss of his creature, but no true pain accompanied its death. "I'm not beaten yet. The special ability of Wolf Demon Lord means that I can't take damage because of its death!"

Sestros waved his hand dismissively. "I know that, stupid fool. However, all of the powerful special abilities of your monster are about to become mine!" One of his two set cards flipped face-up. "Activate continuous trap card, Dark Rebirth! As long as this is in play, every monster of yours that I destroy comes under my control at the end phase of the turn."

That was pushing a line that Rikuo would not allow. "I refuse to let that happen!"

Sestros smirked and motioned to one of his Blood Puppets. "Direct Attack!" It exploded and slammed another Blood Spear into Rikuo's chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

Rikuo- 950

Sestros- 5000

"I hope that snapped you out of your tirade, my dear little weapon." Sestros motioned to the ground next to his Curse of Vampire. "Come to me, Undeath of the Wolf!" (3000/1000) The earth churned and then exploded upwards as the new monster appeared. Throwing back its head, the decayed wolf demon howled into the night.

Rikuo stared at his creature, which now had glowing red eyes. "Wolf Demon Lord..." He fell to his knees.

Sestros waved his finger in the air and walked over to pat the rotting demon monster on the head. "Wrong. This is Undeath of the Wolf, my loyal pet." He licked his lips. "Actually...technically, I think I'll name him Rikuo. After all, just like him, you are my pet as well."

Rikuo didn't want to listen...but he couldn't take his eyes off the sight of his own physical avatar working against him. ("Even you...even you do not believe I can do it?")

The Torture King walked back to his spot on the field and spun around, his red-muscle tissue cape flapping in the air behind him. "Rikuo....like I said, even your own monsters don't want to help you. You're all alone. So, do you still think the light can win?"

Rikuo wanted to answer...but he couldn't find any words. His eyes were stick locked upon the form of Undeath of the Wolf....and how he had a chilling feeling that his fate was going to be the same as its.

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

To thegymrat: Wow...Rikuo can't get any love, eh? At least there's a Sestros fan out there though.

To The Mystic Wanderer: Just pay respect where respect is due and all will be fine. :P

To GryphinWyrm7: Hurry and keep writing, my friend.


	27. Endgame Part 1

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 27: Endgame (Part 1)

_The Torture King walked back to his spot on the field and spun around, his red-muscle tissue cape flapping in the air behind him. "Rikuo....like I said, even your own monsters don't want to help you. You're all alone. So, do you still think the light can win?"_

_Rikuo wanted to answer...but he couldn't find any words. His eyes were still locked upon the form of Undeath of the Wolf....and how he had a chilling feeling that his fate was going to be the same as its._

"Well Rikuo? It's your turn now." Sestros crossed his arms across his chest and chuckled. "Or is it time for you to fold? You look tired, after all. I'm sure a nice eternity of death will be a good enough rest for you. I bet the boy is enjoying himself right now, considering that you tortured him so much during his time being alive."

("Daniel...") Rikuo remembered his promise, and against every wish of his body, he came to his feet. "You son of a bitch...I'll destroy you and pay you back for every loss I have suffered at your hands." He drew. "Now I set two cards face-down on my field, and then my turn is complete." His eyes still showed uncertainty, but it was buried beneath a veil of rage.

"I guess that means the turn goes back to me." Sestros drew. "Rikuo, if my calculations are correct, you have nine cards left in your deck, while I have eight. I suppose that would mean that I am going deck out...unless of course...." He popped open his field magic card slot and slid the card that he had drawn into it. "...I activate my field magic card, Fields of the Lost!"

All around them, the earth churned and shuddered as hundreds of zombies pulled themselves out of the ground. The army of undead creatures groaned and howled, their dead fingers grabbing at the clothing of both duelists.

Rikuo snarled at the nearest walking corpse, slamming his fist into its face and sending it flying away. The only problem was that no matter how hard he tried, more of them came and more of them were mobbing around him. They didn't seem interested in trying to hurt him, but he wanted to get rid of them all the same.

Sestros, on the other hand, threw out of his arms and allowed the creatures to touch him all they wanted. "Why are you fighting it, Rikuo? After all, soon you will be joining their ranks. At the end of each of my turns, I may take the bottom card of my discard pile and place it at the bottom of my deck." The zombies withdrew from him, moving far enough away to give him room to move.

They did the same to Rikuo, though occasionally the creatures would grab at his ears or arms, forcing him to strike back at them. "That can't be its only ability..."

The Torture King nodded. "How perceptive. As long as it in play, we each shuffle our deck at the start of our respective turns. Also, all undead monsters on the field gain 300 attack points." The zombie hoard began to moan, creating an unholy symphony that strengthened the Curse of Vampire and Undeath of the Wolf. (2900/1500) (3300/1000)

"And now I'll attack your life points with another Blood Puppet!" The second to last marionette exploded and slammed into Rikuo's chest.

Rikuo- 750

Sestros- 5000

The final Blood Puppet shimmered and then faded. "And then I'll sacrifice the last one to summon my Vampire Lord!" A vampire appeared on the field, this one wearing black and crimson flowing robes. Its body shimmered in the darkness, as the crimson light of the Blood Moon raised the attack power of the Curse of Vampire, Undeath of the Wolf, and Vampire Lord respectively. (3100/1500) (3500/1000) (3100/1500) "Are you starting to figure out how hopeless this situation is my little weapon? Vampire Lord, attack his face-down monster now!" The crimson cloaked vampire launched across the field, intent on tearing Rikuo's face-down monster apart.

Rikuo flipped up both of his face-down cards. "I will not be silenced so easily! Reveal face-down card combo, Windstorm of Etaqua and Dark Mirror Force!" A huge storm of wind flew across the field and slammed into all of Sestros' monsters, forcing them to their knees. "First my Windstorm forces all of your monsters into defense mode, and then Dark Mirror Force will remove all of your defense mode monsters from play!" A barrier of negative light appeared in front of him, and then it unleashed a shotgun like blast of energy that completely vaporized the three undead creatures.

Sestros smirked and lifted his hands into the air. "Then come and drink my blood, Curse of Vampire! Be reborn!"

Rikuo waved his finger in the air, mimicking Sestros' action from before. "It can't hear you. I removed it from play, meaning that you can't bring it back."

Sestros lowered his arms and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Just for that, I'll make sure you fall to despair before you die. However, for now I have to end my turn. You should keep something in mind though. In just eight scant turns you will be out of cards, and then I will win the duel." One of the zombies nearby him handed him a card, which he slid onto the bottom of his deck.

Rikuo looked down at his deck, and then popped it free, shuffling the thin stack of cards. ("I have to make my comeback now, before he gets another zombie monster into play. If he does, then it will have too many attack points for me to overcome. So please, let my next draw be something good.") He re-inserted the deck into his duel disk. "Here we go...draw!" He looked at his new card, and then looked up at the crimson and grey sky. "Sestros...this duel will be over in five turns."

"What!?" The Torture King cracked his knuckles. "You little rat! You dare to think that you will win this duel in five turns!?"

Rikuo lowered his head to the ground, his eyes coming upon the only card he was holding. "It's not a matter of I will...it's a matter of I must." He slid the card into his duel disk. "I play Card of Demise! This will allow me to draw cards from my deck until I have five in my hand. However, in five turns I must discard my entire hand! So here we go...ready Sestros!?"

His hand went up to his deck. "I draw..." He drew his first card. ("Siegfried, CJ, Deondre....forgive me for not being a better teacher...I intend to make that up to you right now.") He drew his first card, though he didn't look at it yet.

"I draw..." ("Amy, Allon, Esmin and Ryu...all of you were dragged into a battle that didn't involve you and it's my fault. Well, I intend to make it up to both of you.") He drew his second card and added it to his first...

Sestros felt tingles of fear run down his spine. ("That power...it couldn't be...")

"I draw..." ("Jennie, I was hoping for you and Daniel to have a good life together, so that I could know that the blood-line of my family lived on...but then this had to happen. Well, now I will make sure that the last living threat to my blood dies here...I stake my life on it.") The third card, unseen by his eyes, found its way into his hand.

The Torture King was sure now... ("That energy flow...that's not possible.") Lifting his hand, he fired a ball of black energy at Rikuo to try and break his concentration. ("I will not let you draw that card!") However, the darkness game would not allow outside sources to affect it, the attack stopping and dissipating just a few inches from Rikuo's face.

The wolf demon wasn't even paying enough attention to care. "I draw..." ("Jasmine...I never even got to say that I love you too....well let me blow this asshole away, and then I'll say it to you every day...") Taking the fourth card, he placed it next to the rest. "And now, the final draw..." His hand rested on the top of his deck. "Sestros...I cannot forgive you for what you did...and for it, you must pay. However, I am not saying this will be the draw that beats you."

Throughout all of this, the Torture King had been throwing energy blast after energy blast, even though it was having no effect. ("Flinch damn you!!")

("Daniel...I beg for your forgiveness...I will turn this around and I will bring you back...and this time...") Rikuo's eyes snapped open. "But this will be Daniel's draw! DRAW!" He snapped the fifth card free and added it to his hand. "And now, my real turn begins!"

Sestros growled, the blackness flowing around him angrily. "Have you forgotten about my defenses!? I have my Shield of Dead Spirits, and your graveyard is powering it! What are you going to do about that!?"

Rikuo fanned out his hand. "I just figured out something about your Shield of Dead Spirits. You told it to Kaigen, and therefore, to me. I know the weakness of your defense!"

Sestros chuckled. "Well then, let's hear it!"

Rikuo slid the first card he had drawn into his duel disk. "I have two words for you, Sestros. Soul Release."

The Torture King threw back his head and laughed. "You intend to remove your own monsters!?"

Rikuo shook his head. "Not mine...yours. Now, I remove Des Lacooda, Puppet Master, Dark Banshee and Night Assailant."

Sestros watched as the four chosen creatures were spat out of his graveyard. "How will that effect me!? I can still use your graveyard to fuel my shield!"

Rikuo smiled calmly. "Think again. You said it yourself, 'The only way to destroy it is to remove all monsters in my graveyard.' Well guess what..." His upper lip lifted enough to reveal a fang. "I just did."

The Torture King's face paled as his trap faded off the field. "You son of a..."

Rikuo wasn't done yet. "Now for the next problem on the list. That would have to be your two moon cards."

Sestros growled, clenching his fists. "What do you have that could possibly deal with them!?"

"I'm so glad you asked," Taking his second card, Rikuo slid it into his duel disk. "Because it's time to summon the creature that served as my second home since Daniel had gotten it."

Sestros' eyes widened. "No...not him..."

"That's right! I sacrifice my face-down Quicksilver Orb (0/0) to summon Jinzo!" (2400/1500) The green armored monster appeared on the field and chuckled coldly. "Now, negate his trap cards!" The red lenses of Jinzo's eyes flashed and all of Sestros' face-up trap cards went dark. "Daniel's monster...my first body...he is here, and now you are done! Attack his life points directly!" Jinzo cupped its hands together and charged a black ball of energy within its grasp. "Now...Cyber-shock!" The ball launched across the field and slammed into Sestros' chest, sending him sliding backwards.

Rikuo- 750

Sestros- 2600

Clutching his chest, Sestros snarled out, "Are you done?"

Rikuo shook his head. "Not quite yet. Now I set two cards face-down on my field. End turn."

Sestros popped his deck free and shuffled it. "I'm not going to lose to your hunk of steel." As he re-inserted his deck into his duel disk, a sick smile appeared on his face. "Speaking of which, it shouldn't be a machine anyway! Activate the effect of Blood Moon. Now Jinzo, become a zombie!"

Rikuo flipped up one of his face-down cards. "I will not allow you to soil Jinzo with your evil touch! Now is the time to activate my quick-play magic card, Chain of Tornadoes!" A silver chain appeared on the field above him. "It will destroy all cards on the field with a word in its title of my choosing. I select the word moon!" The chain launched across the field and slashed through the two moon cards, destroying them both.

Sestros drew. "Heh, you think you are so tough? Just because you are destroying my combos, you think you are winning this duel? Well think again!" He slid the card he had drawn into his duel disk. "Activate ritual magic card! GoHellblade Ritual!This card requires that I sacrifice one thousand undead monsters to activate its effect!"

Rikuo raised an eyebrow. "How, exactly, are you going to sacrifice one thousand zombies in one turn?"

The Torture King motioned to the monsters all around them. "Take a look for yourself. All of the zombies of my Fields of the Lost will count towards the summoning requirements. That means that now I can summon the monster that can defeat even the Egyptian God Cards!" All of the zombies shuddered and exploded into pieces, and then a huge brown hurricane exploded around the field, slowly shrinking down until it was only the size of Sestros himself. "Now then, my little weapon. When you see my god, you will quiver in fear...I swear it. For it is the ultimate weapon against only one opponent...and that opponent is you!" The whirlwind died down, leaving behind a single armored form on the field.

The figure of the armored warrior was lean, and its entire body was encased in jet-black armor. In each of its hands was a single, jet-black scimitar. And from underneath its ornate helmet a pair of crimson red eyes glowed. "Rikuo...meet the perfect weapon against you...Hellblade the Ultimate Swordsman!" (40000/40000) "For he is the perfect weapon in this battle. Not only is his attack power perfect, but he obeys my every command, without question. Therefore, he is exactly what I need to destroy you once and for all!"

Rikuo wasn't impressed. "Do you dare attack? Just because Jinzo is on the field doesn't mean that I am defenseless. What if my face-down card is a quick-play magic card?" His smile said that it was.

Sestros chuckled and pointed at Jinzo. "Hellblade, kill it!" The monster launched across the field, its blades held high into the air. "And just to let you know, my monster is immune to magic and trap card effects!"

Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk. "I'm not out yet. Activate Distraction Device!" A little gift-wrapped present appeared on the field in front of Hellblade. The warrior came to a stop and poked it a couple of times with its swords. In response, the present spat out a boxing glove attached to a spring that slammed right into Hellblade's face and sent the warrior flying back to Sestros' field.

Sestros stared at the impossibility of it all. "But how!? My monster...."

"...is immune." Rikuo finished for him. "However, my magic card can work on any creature, stopping its attack. Nothing can negate or avoid it; so therefore, even Hellblade isn't as perfect as you think."

Sestros smirked at pointed at Hellblade, whose helmet was cracking. "I think you misunderstood my creature's purpose. It's good, but not invincible. There is only one being it cannot lose to. That being is you, Rikuo." The helmet continued to crack.

Rikuo was tired of playing guessing games. "Just spit it out already..."

The helmet of Hellblade fell away...

Sestros smirked and pointed at his warrior. "You can't hurt my creature, for it has a soul....the soul of your hikari!"

Wearing the armor of Hellblade, Daniel calmly watched Rikuo. The boy's eyes glowed crimson, and his hair floated around his head on some unseen wind. "Master Sestros, what do you wish of me?"

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Endgame (Part 2)


	28. Endgame Part 2

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 28: Endgame (Part 2)

_Rikuo was tired of playing guessing games. "Just spit it out already..."_

_The helmet of Hellblade fell away..._

_Sestros smirked and pointed at his warrior. "You can't hurt my creature, for it has a soul....the soul of your hikari!"_

_Wearing the armor of Hellblade, Daniel calmly watched Rikuo. The boy's eyes glowed crimson, and his hair floated around his head on some unseen wind. "Master Sestros, what do you wish of me?"_

Sestros threw back his head and laughed insanely. "What will you do now Rikuo!? You wouldn't dare hurt your light, would you!?"

Hellblade sheathed his swords and stood impassively, his crimson eyes meeting Rikuo's. "I am the best warrior in existence...no single monster can defeat me. My special powers mean that in a one on one battle, I will always win. Can you defeat me?" The question wasn't smug or angry, like expected. It was almost pleading...

Rikuo fell to his knees, the single card that he was holding falling to the ground as it slipped out of his numb fingers. ("I can't...Daniel...I can't hurt you again.") The wolf demon grasped his skull, the fire he had felt but moments before fading away.

Sestros knew he had won...but it just didn't feel right. He needed to see the wolf demon in pain. "Rikuo...let me tell you a little secret that you might find interesting. I bet you think you're all alone in this battle, but actually...the moment this darkness game began, the entire world has been watching." He tapped the side of his skull. "They're all screaming for you to get up and fight. Well, those of them that believe this isn't a trick. The rest don't matter quite as much, eh?" The Torture King chuckled. "Here, let me open the channel, so to speak."

And then Rikuo's mind was flooded with voices, the cacophony of mental sound shattering his thoughts. Giving out one pained yelp, he collapsed to the ground.

Sestros snickered and watched the twitching body of his weapon. "What will you do, Rikuo? Can you save the world, and in the process kill your other half permanently. If you destroy Hellblade, then my life points will most likely go to zero from the strike. Or has the world's voices destroyed your mind too much? Perhaps I should lighten your load a little bit?" His laughter rang out across the darkness.

Hellblade watched Rikuo's pain, and a single tear slid down his cheek, only to be burned away as his armor flared to life with black fire.

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_("Is this some kind of Hollywood gimmick?")_

_("Mommy, I'm scared!")_

_("This is the end! We're all doomed!")_

_("I shouldn't have had that last beer, I'm imagining things...")_

_("Lord, please save us...")_

_("Damnnit all! That guy's our savior!?")_

_("Who'd have thought the end of the world would have been over a card game?")_

_("Please......get up......fight......")_

("SHUT UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!") Rikuo screamed again and again, trying with all of his remaining might to force the voices to be silent. He may as well have been fighting the ocean itself, because this was the thoughts of the entire human race flowing through his head.

_("I could duel better than that guy can!")_

_("Rikuo...keep fighting! Come on, I know you can do better than that!")_

_("I'm scared, Yugi...")_

_("Isn't that the guy that dueled Yugi Moto to a draw?")_

_("Aw, come on! This is ridiculous!")_

("No more...no more...please stop...") The wolf demon curled into a ball, his entire body shuddering as the voices continued to increase in pitch and quantity.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sestros tapped his chin with a nail. "Now, I end my turn. So let's see your next draw...or can you even hear me over the voices of the world?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_("Why's he curled up on the ground like that?")_

_("He's having a heart attack right now!?")_

_("#&&#$!!!")_

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!" Rikuo screamed. His mind was nearly gone again, and this time there wasn't a lifeline for him to grab. He was alone in the world, and there was no way for him to recover if he went insane. ("But...THEY JUST WON'T STOP TALKING!!!")

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sestros grinned at the vacant look in Rikuo's eyes. The wolf demon had stopped moving completely at this point. ("It's over, and I win.") "Rikuo, you've improved a lot since our last battle, but in the end I am still the better duelist. Whatever hopes you have won't be enough." The darkness flowed around his arms and legs. "In this place, darkness reigns supreme!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

("I'm....so...r....") Rikuo's mind continued to slip away. There was almost nothing left of it now, and very soon he'd crack.

"_**Wishing on a dream that seems far-off,"**_

"_**Hoping it will come today,"**_

The voices started to go silent, the strange music echoing amongst the collective thoughts of the human race. It was such a peaceful sound, that even the darkest soul had to be silent in its presence. **("Rikky...")**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sestros heard it too, and his head snapped around as he heard the song begin. "Who is that!?" ("I can swear I heard that voice once before!")

"_**Into the starlit night,"**_

Rikuo's body had stopped trembling. His shoulders were heaving with the movement of his lungs, which were taking in a huge lungful of air.

"_**Foolish Dreamers turn their gaze,"**_

He slowly came to his feet. "Sestros...Unforgivable..."

"_**Waiting on a shooting star,"**_

The Torture King roared into the darkness, "Silence! Stop singing!" ("Damn, he's snapping out of it.")

"_**But...What if that star is not to come?"**_

"You've hurt so many...and most of all..." Rikuo's hand came up to his deck, and his eyes slowly rose to meet the Torture King's. "...you've harmed my friends!"

Sestros threw back his head, laughing sharply. "You have no friends! You were a heartless killer in your past life and you still are one now!"

"_**Will their dreams fade to nothing?"**_

"That was the old me, the one that you perverted with your evil." Kneeling, Rikuo picked up the card he had dropped.

"_**When the horizon darkens most,"**_

Sestros snickered, "What makes you different than you were before? You're still the same stuck-up, inconsiderate bastard that you were previously. I don't see any difference."

Drawing, Rikuo closed his eyes. "The difference? This difference is that I gained something I never had before..."

"_**We all need to believe there is hope,"**_

"...faith." Rikuo slid the card he had picked up into his duel disk. "I play the ritual magic card Hope of Faith!" His field was surrounded by a halo of light. "This card requires that I sacrifice one monster on my field, so farewell Jinzo!" The green armored humanoid faded away. "And now, I summon the two warriors of Light and Darkness!" A pair of humanoid forms lowered onto his field.

The first form was an armored warrior in black, it humanoid face fair but scowling. Opening its golden-amber eyes, the warrior snapped up his sword. "I am Yami Knight!" (6000/0)

The second form was another armored warrior, but this one in white. Its humanoid face was exactly like the others, except that it had a pair of brown eyes instead of golden ones and it was smiling. "I am Hikari Knight!" (0/6000)

They lifted their swords and touched them together. "And we will destroy the darkness that you have brought to this world!"

Sestros snorted. "How cute, the little weapon brought out a pair of toys for Hellblade to play with."

Hellblade drew his scimitars. "I shall crush you both, insolent fools."

Rikuo slid the final card in his hand into his duel disk. "I end my turn by setting this card face-down on my field. Now, come and try my new warriors on for size, Sestros."

Yami and Hikari Knight lifted their swords, ready to battle.

Sestros shook his head. "How sad, the little dog thinks that he can defeat my ultimate monster. Hellblade has the spirit of Daniel within him, so if you kill him, then you permanently lose Daniel. Therefore...Die!" He drew. "Hellblade, crush the Yami Knight!"

"As you command, my lord!" Hellblade lifted his swords and charged.

Rikuo flipped up his face-down card. "Activate Chain Destruction! This will destroy all copies of one target on the field!"

Sestros stared in confusion at the face-up card. "First of all, Hellblade is immune to magic and trap effects. Secondly, I don't have any other copies of Hellblade Ritual in my deck. Thirdly, how will that help you!?"

Rikuo smirked. "Did I ever say that I was aiming for your Hellblade!? I'm aiming...for you!" A golden chain exploded out of the card and shot right past Hellblade, slamming into the Torture King's chest.

Sestros roared in pain as the chain continued to feed into his body, its multiple lengths disappearing. And then he heard it...the screams as the Chain Destruction destroyed all his million other selves. "How?"

Rikuo motioned to his Chain Destruction card. "Get it now? Now if you lose, you won't have another you to go to. This will be an all or nothing battle for you, Sestros!"

The Torture King tried to stop the chain from digging into him, but it continued to use him as a starting point while it destroyed all of his other selves. "How are you doing this!?"

Rikuo chuckled. "In this duel, each of the effects of our cards is very real. I just readjusted the effect my Chain Destruction."

"But..." Sestros fell to one knee as he felt another thousand of his other selves get destroyed. "How did you know about them!?"

The wolf demon snickered. "I might have been your slave, but I was also your general. I knew all about your little ritual, but I had forgotten about it the first time. This time, the loser truly ceases to exist!" The Chain Destruction finished cutting down the last Sestros soul, and with one metal rattle it exploded. "What do you think of that, my dear 'friend'?"

Sestros stood up and smiled. "That's fine with me! Now I won't have to share the rest of the power with the other copies of myself. And if you haven't forgotten, my Hellblade is about to cut down your Yami Knight! Darkness Blade Strike!" Hellblade roared out a battle cry and slammed his scimitar down....

Only to have his attack stopped by the Hikari Knight, whose sword had disappeared and was replaced by a golden shield. "You shall not harm my brother!"

"What trickery is this!?" Sestros was getting tired of Rikuo always pulling out these situations. "How can they defend each other? And why isn't your Hikari Knight dead instead!?"

Rikuo motioned to his two knights. "When Yami Knight is on the field, Hikari Knight cannot be destroyed in battle, and since I summoned him in defense mode, that means I'll survive your attack."

"That doesn't explain how he blocked my attack," Hellblade said, though like before, he didn't seem angry.

"Ah yes, that would be because of Yami Knight's special ability. When he is attacked, I may redirect that attack to my Hikari Knight if it is on the field." Rikuo smiled. His two knights were smiling too. "Anything else, Sestros?"

The Torture King growled and slid a card into his duel disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn." The card appeared next to his first face-down one. "I suggest you figure out a way to defeat Hellblade soon. You only have two draws left." Smiling, Sestros motioned to his Ultimate Warrior. "Get ready Hellblade, he may attempt to attack."

Hellblade re-drew his swords and nodded. "Yes sir."

Rikuo hated hearing his other half obeying Sestros. "Draw!" He gave the card a glance, and then slid it into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down on my field. End turn!"

"What's the matter Rikuo? Was your draw not good enough? Maybe mine will be better, eh?" Smirking, Sestros drew. "I set this trap card face-down on my field, and then...." He feigned embarrassment. "Whoops...did I say what type of card it was? How stupid of me...oh well, I may as well activate my face-down card to make up for it! Reveal Anger Strike!" The card flipped up and a red haze sprayed out of it, enveloping Rikuo's field. "Now your Yami Knight must attack my Hellblade, and since you're the one attacking, his special ability is useless!"

Yami Knight drew his sword slowly, his golden eyes glowing bright red. "Hellblade...I will kill you!"

Hikari Knight leapt in the way, grabbing onto his counter-part's shoulders. "Don't let him control you, brother!"

Sestros chuckled as Yami Knight showed past his counterpart and charged across the field. "He doesn't have a choice in the matter!"

Hellblade slid into a fighting position. "Come then, and meet your end." His voice sounded sad.

Rikuo grimaced as his Yami Knight was charging to his death.... ("And mine!")

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: Endgame (Part 3)


	29. Endgame Part 3

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 29: Endgame (Part 3)

"_What's the matter Rikuo? Was your draw not good enough? Maybe mine will be better, eh?" Smirking, Sestros drew. "I set this trap card face-down on my field, and then...." He feigned embarrassment. "Whoops...did I say what type of card it was? How stupid of me...oh well, I may as well activate my face-down card to make up for it! Reveal Anger Strike!" The card flipped up and a red haze sprayed out of it, enveloping Rikuo's field. "Now your Yami Knight must attack my Hellblade, and since you're the one attacking, his special ability is useless!"_

_Yami Knight drew his sword slowly, his golden eyes glowing bright red. "Hellblade...I will kill you!"_

_Hikari Knight leapt in the way, grabbing onto his counter-part's shoulders. "Don't let him control you, brother!"_

_Sestros chuckled as Yami Knight showed past his counterpart and charged across the field. "He doesn't have a choice in the matter!"_

_Hellblade slid into a fighting position. "Come then, and meet your end." His voice sounded sad._

_Rikuo grimaced as his Yami Knight was charging to his death.... ("And mine!")_

Hellblade snapped his sword in a lazy arc and slashed right through Yami Knight, destroying the warrior instantly.

Sestros threw back his head and laughed. "And that means your life points are at zero!!!"

Rikuo shook his head. "Actually, I have my face-down card to help me. It's called Enervating Mist. This will restore my Yami Knight to life, negate the damage I would have taken, and let me shuffle two cards from my graveyard into my deck." A golden mist appeared on the field and formed into a huge mass of gold right next to the Hikari Knight. As soon as the mist was gone, the Yami Knight was back in place next to his brother.

Removing the remaining card that was his deck, Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk and his graveyard was about to be spat out so he could pick his two cards.

Sestros flipped up another face-down card. "Not so fast Mutt! Reveal Graveyard Hunter! This trap card will destroy five cards in your graveyard of my choice, as long as they are all of the same type. So I call Reboot, Brain Control, Return of Tribute, Holy Sword of Light, and Soul Release!" The five called card faded out of existence. "Now you can't really turn this around on me, can you?"

Rikuo looked at his graveyard, and then his eyes widened as he realized something. ("There is a way to win...he almost called all of my good magic cards, but there were two that he forgot about.") "I'll choose these two." Taking a pair of cards, the wolf demon placed his graveyard back into his duel disk and shuffled his three card deck together. "Alright, now I won't have to worry about decking about before my five turn limit is up."

Sestros snorted. "So you're still planning on beating me in three turns? Don't make me laugh, foolish dog. Hellblade cannot be defeated by any creature in battle, and is immune to magic and trap cards! He's unstoppable!"

Rikuo shook his head. "No monster is unstoppable. Every creature has a weakness, and I will find Hellblade's weakness soon enough!" He drew. "I set one card face-down on my field, and with that my turn is complete."

The Torture King threw his cloak back and drew. "I reveal my face-down card, Nightmare Wheel!" A horrible bone torture wheel appeared on his field. "And since you think it is so funny to target players with magic and trap effects, I will attach my Nightmare Wheel to you!" The torture device faded off of his field and appeared behind the wolf demon. "Now suffer, Rikuo!" Chains flew out of the device and pulled Rikuo into the wheel, where it held him fast in place.

Growling, Rikuo kicked and squirmed against his bonds. "Damn it....I can't reach my disk!"

Smirking, Sestros slid the card he had drawn into his duel disk. "Exactly right! Activate Spirit of Darkness! This will negate the effect of your Hikari Knight, which means that now it can be destroyed. Hellblade, attack his Hikari Knight now!"

"As you command, master Sestros." Hellblade launched across the field, sword raised up to strike down the Knight.

Yami Knight looked back at Rikuo. "Do something!"

"I'd love to, but I can't move!" Rikuo put all of his strength into the chains, but they wouldn't break.

Hikari Knight lifted his shield up, and lowered his head to the ground. "Don't worry about me brother...make sure that we don't lose." Then Hellblade's sword went through him, and he exploded into dust.

"NOOO!!" Yami Knight charged forward, sword held up to strike down Hellblade. Right before he could lunge in, tendrils of darkness grabbed his arms and legs, dragging him kicking and screaming back to his spot on the field.

While Hellblade walked back over to his field, Sestros smirked and waved his finger in the air. "Come now, my dear friend. You know that the rules don't allow you to attack on my turn unless a card effect says so."

"Damn you and your rules!" The dark armored knight tugged on his bonds, trying with all of his might to overcome the restraints. "DAMN YOU, MURDERER!!!"

Hellblade stood impassive to all of it, though if someone could see past the darkness that surrounded him, they might be surprised to find sadness in his eyes.

Sestros threw back his head and laughed some more. "Well for now I end my turn, so let's see if you can avenge him. That is...if you can reach your deck!" He laughed loudly, the sound echoing into the darkness.

Rikuo braced himself as the Nightmare Wheel stabbed red-hot pokers into his skin, the fire from them burning straight into his soul. He tried to avoid giving Sestros the pleasure of him screaming, but he couldn't stop himself.

Yami Knight clenched his fist tightly through all of it. "You...unholy...bastard!"

Sestros shrugged nonchalantly. "Your life isn't important. All you are is a card, so why do you care?"

While Rikuo continued to scream, Yami Knight roared out, "Because it hurts! I'm surprised you haven't lamented the loss of your other selves yet!"

"Why would I lament them? Now that I am the only Kilomet Sestros, I can get all of the power for myself." The Torture King said this matter-of-factly. "Now then, will Rikuo draw his card...or will he end his turn?"

Rikuo- 250

Sestros- 2600

The Nightmare Wheel had finally stopped burning Rikuo, but he still felt the pain of Yami Knight in his soul. ("He's like me...he's lost a brother...like I lost Daniel.") "I will not let it happen again...I WILL NOT!!!" The chains of the Nightmare Wheel groaned loudly as he stretched them all the way. "I....WILL...NOT!!!" With one final groan they broke, freeing his arms.

Sestros smirked and cleared his throat. "That was a fun lot of dramatics you just put on, but you're still losing the battle. Perhaps you should just give up? After all, the Nightmare Wheel is still attached to you, and that means that your life points will be all mine next turn. So...what will you do?"

Rikuo drew. "I will not let you hurt anyone else! Draw!" He looked at the back of the card, and took a deep breath. ("Don't fail me...please don't fail me!") He flipped the card over...

The entire world, believers or not, held their breath collectively...

Sestros frowned at the energy flowing around Rikuo. ("No...he's going to Topdeck!")

Looking at the card, Rikuo's eyes widened in horror. "You're kidding me...no..."

Yami Knight looked back at him. "Well!? What did you draw?"

Sestros felt his fear fade away. ("I know that look....") Throwing back his head, he laughed triumphantly.

Dropping the Howling Sword card to the ground below him, Rikuo cried. ("I'm sorry...I failed...")

Sestros laughter echoed across the ears of the whole world.

_To be continued..._


	30. Endgame Part 4

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 30: Endgame (Part 4)

_Looking at the card, Rikuo's eyes widened in horror. "You're kidding me...no..."_

_Yami Knight looked back at him. "Well!? What did you draw?"_

_Sestros felt his fear fade away. ("I know that look....") Throwing back his head, he laughed triumphantly._

_Dropping the Howling Sword card to the ground below him, Rikuo cried. ("I'm sorry...I failed...")_

_Sestros laughter echoed across the ears of the whole world._

Rikuo could hear the mixture of wails of despair from some of the people and roars of anger from some others. "I'm sorry everyone, I didn't draw the card I needed. I won't ask for your forgiveness, but I'll ask that you please say your last goodbyes."

"You coward!" Yami Knight ran across the field and slapped Rikuo across the cheek. "What are you saying!? What about your promise to Daniel!?"

For a moment Rikuo's eyes lit up with anger. "What part about 'I didn't draw the card I needed' did you not understand!?"

Yami Knight fell to his knees, dropping his sword to the ground with a clatter. "I understand...but I can't believe it. The light is supposed to win in the end."

Continuing to cry, Rikuo barely registered that Sestros was still laughing.

"This is too perfect!!!" The Torture King lowered his head enough to look at the loser of this duel. "You're telling me that you didn't Topdeck the card you needed? After all your speeches, you still couldn't draw the winning card?"

Rikuo sobbed just a little louder, his long raven-black hair still hiding his face from view.

Sestros laughed again. "Do you hear that Hellblade? This duel is over."

"I am delighted for you, Master Sestros." The Ultimate Swordsman didn't sound like he was delighted. If anything, he sounded like he was also on the verge of crying.

Sestros continued to laugh, his voice echoing across the planet as it was projected in the minds of the entire human race. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you your savior, Rikuo Amero!" Pointing at the exhausted figure in front of him, the Torture King snickered. "He was last hope, and now he has lost. Rikuo, do the world a favor and say 'I end my turn."

"I...end my turn." The wolf demon cried louder, his face still out of view.

"Good dog." Smiling, Sestros threw his hands up into the air. "Besides, even if you had drawn the necessary card, would you have been able to use it?" Walking onto his field, the Torture King rested an elbow on the shoulder of his Ultimate Swordsman. "After all, this cute little guy of mine is your other half. Would you have sacrificed his life just to save everyone else's?"

Rikuo continued to hang his head dejectedly. "No...I can't hurt Daniel..."

Sestros readjusted the mental 'channel' so that he could listen in on the cries and wails of the human race. A dark smile found its way onto his face. ("This is exactly what I wanted...torture on a worldwide scale! The entire world is suffering...and it's all thanks to me!") His smile grew even deeper and darker. ("Now it's time to say my final words to the Mutt.") He drew, not even bothering to look at the card. "Rikuo, I know you can still hear me."

The wolf demon continued to sob, his shoulders heaving.

"I just wanted to tell you something that I know you'll just love." Sestros was ready to spring the final surprise. "Your friends are not dead."

"W...w...what?" Rikuo had stopped sobbing, his face still out of view.

"I never killed them. All you saw was a cleverly arranged play on my part. It's just lovely that you are giving up, just when you know that there was something worth fighting for. Because, you see...." He bared his fangs. "I'm going to kill them personally for your loss!"

Rikuo didn't have any tears left to shed; all he could do was stay silent.

Sestros slid the card he had drawn into his duel disk, his body stretching and growing as he revealed his true form. The remains of his robes fell away, the being that was left resembled an even more horrible version of Sestros' favorite card, the Torture King. "And now, it's time for the ultimate irony. Daniel, strike down Rikuo and become my new 'little weapon'."

"As you wish, Master Sestros." Lifting his swords, Hellblade pointed one of them at Yami Knight. "Prepare yourself, my friend. You join your brother now."

Yami Knight picked up his sword and slowly came to his feet. "I...I will make sure that I go down fighting!" Sliding into a combat stance, the Knight prepared himself for his last battle. "Come then, and let us see who the better swordsman is."

"Enough banter Hellblade, just kill him," The horrible creature that was Kilomet Sestros rumbled.

"I come!" Roaring a battle cry, Hellblade charged. "This is your end!"

Yami Knight looked back at Rikuo. "Though our time together was short, I was glad to make acquaintances with you, Rikuo Amero. And don't worry, my brother and I do not hold our deaths as your responsibility."

Rikuo continued to sob again.

Sestros rumbled happily, the sound almost like a form of laughter. "This duel ends here, with your death! DARKNESS BLADE STRIKE!!!"

Hellblade leapt into the air, his leading blade aimed right at Yami Knight. "Goodbye!"

Yami Knight lifted his sword up in some semblance of a defense, even though he knew it was over. ("Despite my best wishes, his monster is far too strong for me to match in battle.") "However, I will die with honor!"

"Then die, and know that you were struck down by the better warrior!" roared Hellblade.

And then Rikuo's sobbing stopped...

"Sestros..." It was replaced by laughter.

("What?") Sestros growled angrily, flexing his huge claws. "What are you laughing at!? You've lost!"

"Are you so certain?" Rikuo slowly raised his head, a sly smile on his face.

"Of course! You said it yourself! The card you had drawn wasn't the one....." Sestros went silent, a deep sucking noise coming from his mouth as he drew in breath. "Shit..."

Cracking his knuckles, Rikuo tapped a button on his duel disk. "That's right...the card I needed has been face-down the whole time. And now I activate it...reveal Attack Redirection Armor!" A suit of demonic-looking steel armor appeared on the field and then flew over to Sestros' field, where it floated in the air in front of the Torture King. "This changes the target of your monster's attack to you!"

Hellblade lowered his sword, his face landing inches from Yami Knight's. Though he had stopped his attack, he didn't make any move to attack Sestros either.

Sestros rumbled deeply. "Fool, Hellblade is unaffected by the effects of his opponent's magic and trap cards. That means you really have lost!!!" His rumbling laughter shook the very stone that surrounded them. "IT'S OVER!!! HELLBLADE, ATTACK YAMI KNIGHT!"

But the warrior didn't make any attack. He just stood there silently.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? ATTACK!!!" Sestros stomped forward a step, spreading his wings and roaring angrily. "CRUSH RIKUO!!!"

Rikuo had forgotten about the effect of Hellblade, and had truly been expecting the worst. Now though... "What's going on?"

"That's what I would like to know!" Sestros stomped another step closer, shoving the Attack Redirection Armor aside. "Hellblade, I order you to attack him!"

Hellblade continued to stare at the ground, his eyes blank.

"Is he broken?" Yami Knight took a step back, keeping his sword between him and the dangerous demon warrior.

Sestros was slowly traveling across the field now. "I will get to the bottom of this personally!" His steps shook the whole room as he got closer and closer.

Meanwhile, Rikuo was staring at Hellblade. ("Why did you stop? What is going on here?")

_Sestros rumbled deeply. "Fool, Hellblade is unaffected by the effects of his opponent's magic and trap cards." _

Rikuo couldn't believe it. ("He's in there, and he's trying to figure out who his opponent really is. If I am, then Attack Redirection Armor will have no effect and it will be over for me. However...") "Remember the times! Don't let him steal away your memories of life and friendship!"

Any further words were stopped as a ball of black energy hurtled across the field and exploded against the Nightmare Wheel, blowing it apart and sending the now burning form of Rikuo flying forwards to land right at Sestros' enormous feet.

The Torture King chuckled, the sound horrible on the ears of everyone listening. "What are you trying to do? Convince him to remember the times of the past?" His laughter intensified, the earth cracking at his feet. "FOOL! Just for that, I'll personally crush you!" His foot lifted up into the air, the thing just a little smaller than Rikuo's whole body. It started to drop, but then slowed to a stop... "Actually..."

Rikuo tried to lift his head, but he had no strength left. "Damn it...I can't move..."

"How unfortunate for you, however..." Sestros' claw curled around Rikuo's body, lifting him into the air until he was just a few inches away from the demon king's face. The fetid breath that washed into Rikuo's nose was enough to make him retch, yet he just couldn't find the strength to even hold his breath. "...how fortunate for me. Guess what, my little weapon?" Lifting a single nail point, Sestros began to dig the sharp digit into Rikuo's chest, the smell of fresh blood flowing around the arena. "I'm going to catch up on old times. Now, what part of this little body of yours can I scar first?"

Rikuo's screams of pain were by far the most hellish on the ears of the world...

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Deondre slammed his fist into the invisible barrier that was just a few inches from the entrance to cave that led to the arena. "We have to help him!"

"Esmin, isn't there a..." Siegfried started, but he was cut off when the fox demon shook his head.

"No, there is no way to get past a barrier of that strength. Rikuo must fight this battle alone." Esmin closed his eyes, only to open them seconds later to try and drown out the horrible images of what Sestros was doing to Rikuo at the moment.

Jasmine was on her hand and knees, tears flowing unabashed from her eyes. "DAMN YOU SESTROS!!! STOP!!!"

CJ threw another small boulder at the forcefield, watching it slam into the barrier and then slide to the ground. "We're not getting in...are we?"

Esmin shook his head sadly. "All we can do is pray for him to die soon, so that he doesn't have to suffer anymore."

Everyone hung their head down, silence reigning over the area, except for the occasional sob from Jasmine or scream of pain from Rikuo.

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Sestros licked some more blood off of his claws, smirking at the fresh strips of skin and muscle tissue that hung from one huge arm. "I wonder how much more of you I will need to flay before you pass out...oh wait; you can't pass out, can you? Your training forbids it!" Throwing back his head, he roared in delight. "I haven't had this much fun in years!"

Rikuo, through all of the blinding pain, feebly kicked Sestros palm. "Screw....you...."

"Tsk tsk tsk," rumbled Sestros, the thumb and forefinger of one mottled hand pinching Rikuo's left leg. "Guess what? Just for daring to try and hurt me with that leg, I'm going to break it, okay?"

Yami Knight felt the last of his control snap when he heard the sickening crack of bone and the scream of true pain, pure and unveiled, explode from Rikuo's throat. "I can take no more of this!" Spinning around, the knight monster picked up the duel disk that Rikuo had lost in the explosion.

Ignoring the bloody stains across its white and blue surface, Yami Knight drew the last card. ("So this is what he was waiting for?") Sliding the card into the duel disk, the demon knight raised his hand into the air. "Activate Spiritual Fusion! This will fuse one monster on Rikuo's field and one monster in his graveyard together. He chooses to use the Yami Knight on his field and the Hikari Knight in his graveyard!" Snatching up the Howling Sword card off the ground, Yami Knight slid it into the duel disk. "And he also uses Howling Sword to maximize the attack points of his new monster, by adding 1000 points to his creature and then doubling its attack! Now, go Spiritual Fusion!" Dropping the duel disk, Yami Knight faded away.

Chuckling deeply, Sestros drank in the waves of pain that radiated off of Rikuo's body. "I forgot how much fun this really was! Now, what should I break next!?"

"You will break nothing, monster!" yelled a voice from over on Rikuo's field.

"Eh?" Sestros looked over to see who had spoken.

Standing in the spot where Yami Knight had been shortly before stood a new warrior. His armored body was in pure shades of black and white, and in his arms rested a golden shield and silver sword. From beneath his helmet a single golden eye and a single brown eye glowed. "I am Balance Knight, (20000/20000) and you will be destroyed by my power and the power of the Howling Sword!" As if on cue, his sword exploded into phantom flames as the Howling Sword Legendary Weapon Card charged up his weapon. (41000/41000) "And now, prepare to be destroyed! Howling Balance Wave!" Slamming his sword into the ground, Balance Knight unleashed a wave of phantom flame so big that it instantly engulfed Sestros. "And now you are no more, monster."

A single ball of black flame flew through the smoke, slamming right into Balance Knight and sending him flying backwards. "FOOL!" The smoke cleared to reveal Sestros, completely unharmed by the attack. "I am immune to the power of the light. Your attack might have been enough to kill any normal demon, but I have already been killed by the light once before. I cannot be killed by it again!" Lifting his claw upward, he charged up a ball of black flame that was so big it seemed like a miniature sun. "Now BURN!" He threw the blast, consuming and destroying the Balance Knight instantly.

Something fell out of the smoke cloud, landing right at his feet. "Why look Rikuo, it's your father's sword. The weapon you killed me with before." Another ball of black flame appeared in Sestros' open palm. "Now it is no more!" Holding onto the ball, the Torture King slammed it right into the ground on top of the Howling Sword. There was a momentary struggle of powers, and then the sword was gone. "That was better than a lifetime's worth of therapy."

Rikuo growled low in his throat, expending what was left of his energy to do so. "My father's blade...you bastard...I'll..."

"YOU'LL WHAT!?" Sestros roared right into Rikuo's face, nearly killing the wolf demon right there through sheer force of will. "I AM BEYOND YOU!!! I AM BEYOND ALL OF YOU!!!" His breathing came in ragged gasps, Sestros' energy sapped from destroying Balance Knight and the Howling Sword. "And now you bore me, Rikuo." Lifting a single nail up, he chuckled deeply. "So I'll kill you in the same way you first killed me. I'll rip your heart right out of your body!" His nail shot downwards...

"Grand Emperor Dragon, Solar Stream!" A golden wave of energy slammed into Sestros back, sending him to his knees.

Spinning around, the Torture King roared in anger. "Who dares to interfere with me!?"

"Who do you think, worm?" Ryu smirked from atop the head of his mighty golden dragon. "Jourgen Politumas interrupts your fun, you sick freak of nature."

Growling, Sestros dropped Rikuo to the ground and stomped forwards, wings extended and fangs bared. "Why can't you die like a normal living being!?"

Shrugging, the dragon demon pointed at his true enemy. "I'm smarter than your average dragon. Now, Solar Steam!" The Grand Emperor Dragon opened its jaws and fired another wave of energy, the blast slamming right into Sestros' body again.

Roaring in rage, the Torture King launched forwards and slashed right through Ryu's monster, destroying it in a blast of black energy. "I am invincible!"

Ryu leapt through the air and landed at the other end of the arena, his duel disk on his arm. "I beg to differ. I will show you a god more powerful than you could ever hope to be!" Drawing seven cards off the top of his deck, Ryu threw them all of the air. "Awaken my dragons! Activate Monster Reborn, reviving Grand Emperor Dragon!" There was a huge explosion of light and when it cleared, all of Ryu's elemental dragons were in front of him.

Sestros narrowed his sickly blood-shot eyes. "So that's it. You plan to summon Bahamut against me? Foolish plan. I will crush your false god beneath my heel!"

Ryu drew the top card off of his deck. "I beg to differ! In fact..." He looked at the card to be sure, and then threw it into the air. "Go Fusion Gate!" There was a huge explosion as the dragons fused together to create one single ball of golden light. "And now, I summon you forth, my almighty dragon god. Awaken Bahamut-King of Dragons; Lord of Judgment..." The orb shuddered and then exploded open, revealing the mountainous silver form of Ryu's most powerful fusion.

Sestros knew he could defeat Bahamut, and yet he felt tired... ("It must be a side effect from all of the energy I have expended so far. Oh well, I can still win.") Roaring, Sestros charged another miniature sun of energy within his cupped claws. "Prepare yourself, Bahamut!"

The Dragon God understood the challenge, and it opened its jaws wide. Within the titanic jowls, a small ball of blue-white energy was being developed.

Ryu's expression became stern and concentrated. ("I know exactly what I must do.") "Bahamut, Omega Flare!"

Roaring so loudly that the earth of the entire island began to crack; Bahamut finished charging up its attack, which was now a miniature sun itself.

Sestros had also finished charging up his ultimate attack. "Abyssal Sun!"

Ryu spoke for Bahamut, while the dragon did the blasting. "Omega Flare!"

The two attacks collided midway between their owners, creating a huge pulsing core of energy. At first it flowed towards Sestros, then it flowed towards Bahamut, and then it returned to being between them.

"One of us will fold first...and it will be you...JOURGEN!" Sestros pushed forwards even harder, his blast of energy gaining impossible amounts of force behind it.

Ryu had mixed his very essence in with Bahamut, and yet it didn't seem to be enough. ("Please Bahamut, try harder!") Releasing every ounce of his energy, the dragon demon mixed his power with that of his god's, trying to reinforce Bahamut's efforts. ("We...must...succeed!")

Sestros pulled up all that remained of his energy supply, placing it into his attack. Their struggle held on for another few seconds, and then the impossible happened...

Sestros won out...

There was a huge backlash as Sestros' Abyssal Sun engulfed Bahamut's Omega Flare. The two forces surged against each other for one more second, and then it all came back at Bahamut in a mixture of black and blue energy.

Ryu closed his eyes, pain etched on his face. "Bahamut, forgive me!"

The Dragon God let out one roar of pain. And then it was consumed by the Abyssal Sun. Its voice exploded into one of anguish as it was blown apart.

Ryu was thrown through the air, slamming face-first into the ground and skidding for a good hundred feet before he crashed into the wall at the end of the chamber. With one last gasp of pain, he collapsed.

Panting, Sestros threw back his head and laughed tiredly. "I...win! I win and there's nothing any of you can do about it!" Taking one more shuddering breath, the demon king came to his feet and roared into the dark haze around them. "I am God Supreme!!! Now I'll go and kill all of Rikuo's friends, and then I'll kill everyone who ever dared to oppose my might!" He grinned coldly. "Maybe I'll start with Daniel's little bitch of a sister?"

His rumbling laughter echoed across the world. "I win the Level 10 darkness game, and that means the fate of the world is mine to choose!!" A strange smile came across his hideous face.

"And I'm sure all of you saw what I just did." His echoing voice addressed the people of earth. "So if you dare to oppose me, then all you will be doing is wasting your time. Even now, I have the power to crush even the most powerful human weapon with ease!" Spreading his wings, he laughed into the darkness.

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Deondre fell to his knees, pounding the ground. "And we can't even help!"

CJ and Allon continued to hurl random objects at the force field, trying to knock it down.

Jasmine was beyond reach, as was Amy. Both of them had been crying for various reasons, but now they were beyond tears.

Esmin watched the darkening sky impassively. "Well...I can honestly say this sucks." From next to him, Janeam nodded solemnly.

Siegfried slammed himself shoulder-first into the barrier again and again. "You cannot determine the fate of the world through the actions of one! Let...us...in!" He punctuated each word with another tackle.

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All across the world the sky was dark, and everything was being plunged into darkness. The Purge already knew exactly what Sestros was going to wish for, and in preparation it had summoned forth hordes of demons from its depths to perform this task. At the moment, these demons stood on edges of every city on the planet, waiting for Sestros to make his wish and order them to slaughter every living member of the human race.

People cried, non-believers became believers...

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In another part of the world, a certain ancient Pharaoh was just on the verge of defeating a certain Atlantian Prince, but that is a tale someone else will tell...

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In another part of the world, Viper watched the gathering darkness with a smirk on his face. ("It's over, and we've won.")

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Sitting in a bell tower somewhere, Clarice looked up from his table and his deck. Glancing out at the darkness, he sighed. "Looks like it's gonna rain hell...and I forgot my umbrella too..." Shrugging to himself, he sat back down. ("Deondre, you and I will duel soon.")

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Everyone cowered in fear, stood in defiance, or happily accepted the hordes that waited to attack.

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Cackling crazily, Sestros roared into the night around him. "The Purge, hear my command! I wish for the end of the human..."

"_**Is an angel watching closely over me?"**_

The Torture King stopped in mid-sentence, as did most of the world, demon hordes and all...

"_**Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?"**_

Sestros slowly lowered his arms, and stared around him in confusion. "What? What is going on?"

"_**I know my heart should guide me but..."**_

"_**There's a hole within my soul..."**_

The darkness thickened, and tired laughter came from across the arena. "Sestros...this duel isn't quite over yet."

"_**What will fill this emptiness inside of me?"**_

"_**Am I to be satisfied without knowing?"**_

The Torture King turned around, and growled at the sight of Rikuo sitting on top of a huge piece of stone. "So you still have some fight left in your, eh? I suppose all the years that you spent as my test dummy made you rather resilient against my torture techniques."

"_**I wish, then, for a chance to see..."**_

"_**Now all I need..."**_

Rikuo, his arms behind his back, matched gazes with his nemesis. "I suppose I could ask why you are doing all of this, but honestly, I don't want to know. A million questions are coming up in my mind, but they all seem to have one suitable single answer. Your death. So what do you say we end this right now, and then the winner never speaks of the loser again?" His tone was strangely civil.

Rumbling angrily, Sestros flexed his claws. "You understand that even in my weakened state I could crush your body like the insect that it is. And without your father's weapon, you certainly cannot hope to defeat me with the power of light. So you're all out of tricks, Mutt!"

"Sestros...tell me of your sins...give me all the reasons I have to hate you." Rikuo's eyes never wavered, though considering all of the damage he had suffered; he shouldn't have been able to see straight at this point.

Chuckling, the Torture King started to slowly stomp towards his prey. "I'll give you a short version, since we don't have hours to talk. In fact, I have enough just involving you."

"Then let's hear them." Something seemed odd about Rikuo. His anger was gone.

"Very well then. Let's see, now I've defeated your uncle in battle and threw his corpse into a ravine."

He was ten steps away. "I've killed your mother and then raped her body."

Nine steps. "I killed your father."

Eight steps. "I stole away your childhood innocence."

Seven steps. "I made you my personal little weapon."

Six steps. "I forced you to kill without mercy, until I damaged your psyche so badly, that you could never hope to return to anything near innocent ever again."

Five steps. "I broke your honor bond to Jourgen, and ate the flesh of his children and wife."

Sestros was four steps away now. "I killed you."

Three. "I turned your other half into my puppet."

Two. "Thanks to my mental influence, Seren killed your other self."

With one final, crashing stomp Sestros towered over the very being whose existence he hated completely and utterly. "Finally, I'm going to destroy the human race."

Rikuo slowly smiled; the expression dark and terrible. "Good job, but that last one won't be happening."

"Oh and how will you stop me? The power of light cannot kill me." Sestros knew he was in the perfect position to kill Rikuo and end this all. Lifting his claw up, the Torture King had one question still in his mind. "Why did you ask me to list my sins?"

"_**Desperately..."**_

"_**Is my star to come..."**_

The dark smile on Rikuo's face grew deeper. "So that a certain friend of yours could come to a decision. By the way, it's my turn." His arm lifted up to reveal Sestros' duel disk attached to his arm. Drawing the top card of the Torture King's deck, he flicked it aside. "Oh, and last I checked my Attack Redirection Armor was still in play." Right above his head, the demonic suit of steel armor appeared. "And you're still the target."

Eyes wide, Sestros drove his claw down. "Damn you!!!"

Rikuo prayed that he was faster on the draw. "Hellblade, direct attack!" From out of the darkness behind him sprang Sestros' ultimate warrior, which blew right through the Torture King's chest.

Stumbling backwards, Sestros stared at the hole in his chest where his heart had been. ("All of my plans...") He continued to fall backwards, crashing into the ground. While his blood pooled around him, the Torture King managed to mutter something. "Re....v...ea...l...........Da...r.....k...ne....s....s.......A...b........y........s............s........"

Kilomet Sestros felt the remains of his life drain away, and he knew it was over. His legacy was to die with him.

Standing over the quickly cooling body of his ex-tormentor, Rikuo couldn't stop himself from saying it. "Funny how history repeats itself, eh?" Tossing Sestros' duel disk aside, Rikuo began the slow and painful walk to go and make sure that Ryu was alive.

If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed that right before the holographic representations had shut off, the face-down card that Sestros had set was face-up on the field.

_To be continued..._


	31. Wrapping up loose ends

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 31: Wrapping up loose ends

_The dark smile on Rikuo's face grew deeper. "So that a certain friend of yours could come to a decision. By the way, it's my turn." His arm lifted up to reveal Sestros' duel disk attached to his arm. Drawing the top card of the Torture King's deck, he flicked it aside. "Oh, and last I checked my Attack Redirection Armor was still in play." Right above his head, the demonic suit of steel armor appeared. "And you're still the target."_

_Eyes wide, Sestros drove his claw down. "Damn you!!!"_

_Rikuo prayed that he was faster on the draw. "Hellblade, direct attack!" From out of the darkness behind him sprang Sestros' ultimate warrior, which blew right through the Torture King's chest._

_Stumbling backwards, Sestros stared at the hole in his chest where his heart had been. ("All of my plans...") He continued to fall backwards, crashing into the ground. While his blood pooled around him, the Torture King managed to mutter something. "Reveal.........Dar...k...ne...s...s...A...b......y......s............s......"_

_Kilomet Sestros felt the remains of his life drain away, and he knew it was over. His legacy was to die with him._

_Standing over the quickly cooling body of his ex-tormentor, Rikuo couldn't stop himself from saying it. "Funny how history repeats itself, eh?" Tossing Sestros' duel disk aside, Rikuo began the slow and painful walk to go and make sure that Ryu was alive._

_If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed that right before the holographic representations had shut off, the face-down card that Sestros had set was face-up on the field._

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"Damn it Jourgen, don't touch my leg." Rikuo wanted to yell, but his throat was too sore. He had just channeled huge amounts of dark energy through his body, and now he was paying the price for it. While it may have saved him from immediate death, chances weren't very good that he had much more fight in him for a long time. ("Not that it matters. Sestros is completely dead, and the world is safe.")

Ryu grimaced and continued to support Rikuo while the two of them made their walk up the tunnel. "You know, considering how I helped you and all, maybe you should be nice to me."

"I am being nice," Rikuo muttered dejectedly. "Now shut up and get me to the others. I want to make sure they are okay."

A few minutes passed in silence as the two of them made incredibly slow progress towards the tunnel entrance.

As they passed through the second room, Rikuo thought of something. "So...how exactly did you just appear in the middle of the game? And why are you alive?"

Ryu smirked. "I've had over five thousand years to prepare for situations like this one. Trust me, I'll stay dead when I damn when feel like it."

Rikuo didn't bother asking. "That doesn't explain how you got into the darkness game."

Ryu continued to smirk, though he didn't answer. ("My secrets are not for your ears, my friend.")

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"Get up Daniel; it's time to bring this to a close." A calm voice said.

("What?") Slowly, the half wolf-demon opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He was laying face-first in a small chamber made completely of blue crystal. "Where am I? The last thing I remember..."

"...was when you, as Hellblade, struck down Sestros." The voice said.

Something about the sound of that voice sent shivers down Daniel's spine. Coming to his feet, he sniffed the air and tried to pin-point some kind of smell that he could recognize.

"Don't bother, my friend. In this place, you are nothing more than a spirit, as am I." The voice was so familiar, why couldn't Daniel place it to an owner.

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Narrowing his eyes, Ryu came to a stop.

"What's the hold-up Jourgen!? Let's keep going!" Rikuo wasn't feeling very patient.

("That energy...it's not evil...but it is dark. Now who or what is giving it off?") The dragon demon looked back the way that had come. ("Though I feel no evil in its power, it still sends shivers down my spine. Why?") "I will return shortly." Dropping Rikuo unceremoniously to the ground, Ryu walked back down the tunnel.

Rikuo was too confused as to what just happened to do more than lay in an injured heap on the ground.

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Finally, the owner of the voice appeared in the room. "Greetings Daniel, how have you been?"

The hairs on the half wolf-demon's neck stood up at the sight of a man he could have sworn was dead. "Giovan Garlin!? But you're banished!!!"

Straightening his business suit, Giovan chuckled. "You should know by now that I am very tough to kill."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "But you weren't killed...you were banished. You are not allowed to exist on this plane anymore, so how are you here!?"

"Anxious to know the truth, are we?" The dark-suited man turned to look at one of the crystal walls of the room. "What I am is not Giovan Garlin, or Kilomet Sestros. I am a fragment of Garlin's soul, which found refuge in your soul when he was had control of your mind."

Glancing back at Daniel, the spirit's dark eyes were filled with a calmness that could only come from planning. "And now all of my plans come to fruitation here and now." Lifting his arm, a silver and black duel disk appeared on it. "So, what do you say to one last darkness game, just for old time's sake?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, I refuse. We will not hold another one of these crazy little games. I'm not risking anything."

Chuckling, Giovan motioned to the crystal chamber around them. "Don't you realize where we are? This is the room of your soul, or what is left of it. Besides, the only thing you will be risking is yourself."

"What's the catch? What happens if you were to win?" Daniel had to admit he was curious.

"Simple enough, if I win, then I will be reborn in your body when Rikuo makes his wish. And if you win, then when Rikuo's wish is made, you shall return to the land of the living." Giovan spoke simply, with no malice or deceit in his voice. "And as long as I exist as part of your soul, the wish will be unable to revive you from the dead."

"You're lying," Daniel replied.

"Is it worth risking?" Giovan returned.

Lowering his eyes to the ground, Daniel frowned. "Very well, then it comes down to this. It will be a duel between the two of us, and the winner will live, while the loser will be lost to the darkness." Lifting his arm, he wasn't even surprised to find a duel disk there now. "Before we begin though, I want your promise that despite whatever happens you will leave my family and friends alone."

Giovan nodded. "Very well, I will honor that wish. Unlike Sestros, I do possess honor." He held up his duel disk, which had nothing in its deck slot. "And now, just to spice our battle up, I think it is time to invoke a special set of darkness rules."

"Special set of darkness rules?" Glancing at his own deck slot, Daniel found it empty too. "What's so special about this? How can we play without decks?"

"We have decks, just be warned that you will have to be quick on your feet with them." Throwing a hand into the air, Giovan yelled, "Let the Soul Deck Duel begin!"

"Soul Deck!?" Daniel felt a weak tug on his soul, and then in a flash of blue light a deck had found its way into his duel disk. "What's this? Where did these cards come from?"

"They came from your very soul." Giovan clicked his duel disk into place. "And that deck reflects the very inside of your soul. Many of the cards inside have never existed before, and therefore you will be left wondering exactly what combos, if any, exist."

Daniel clicked his duel disk into place. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? If you mean the Soul Deck System, it's so that neither of us can cheat. We will have to fight using our very souls if we wish to succeed. If you are talking about the challenge itself, it is quite simple." Drawing five cards from the top of his Soul Deck, Giovan fanned them out, though he had yet to look at them. "I do not want to die. There is too much I have never done in my life, because of Sestros."

Daniel understood all to well what Giovan was talking about. "You were his prisoner, weren't you?"

"No, not so much a prisoner as a separate spirit. I cannot say that I do not like torture, for I truly do enjoy it as an art. However, that does not make me like him. I hate to hurt those who do not deserve to suffer, and that is something that Sestros did in spades!" His eyes, while cruel, reflected something besides the blackness that was the entirety of Sestros' form. "I do not want to hurt innocent people, not if I can avoid it. However, he forced me to...I cannot make up for that, but I wish to have a chance to live again! That is why I challenge you to this battle!" Though his voice was the same as Daniel remembered it, Giovan also sounded less angry and dark. "Now, who will begin?"

Drawing five cards, Daniel nodded to the oddity before him. "Show me the power this game holds. Let me see if you truly deserve to live instead of me."

Giovan chuckled coldly. "You sound like a true demon now. That's very impressive." He drew. "Now, let this final game of darkness begin! Here is where the last battle between us, in all forms, will take place. Ready?"

Smiling, Daniel nodded. "Bring it on......friend."

Giovan returned the smile.

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Ryu stared at the ball of darkness that hung in the center of the arena. "It's a darkness game, but the question in my mind is...who's in there?"

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Giovan took a card from the center of his hand and placed it onto his duel disk. "I set one monster in face-down defense mode." The card appeared on the field in front of him. "And then I set one card face-down on the field." Right behind the monster, another brown-backed card appeared. "And that will be all for now."

Daniel actually bothered to look at his cards now. ("Hmm, very strange. These cards definitely are not normal.") He drew. "Alright, I think I understand what I am dealing with." Taking the card he had drawn, the half wolf-demon slid it into his duel disk. "I begin with the magic card Soul Reversal. This will allow me to take your face-down monster card off of the field and force you to play another four star or below monster card from your hand in its place. Then you pick up the removed card." A white mist appeared around the face-down card. "So take your pick of which card you want to switch your monster out with."

Giovan grasped another card from his hand and placed it onto his duel disk. "I'll set this monster face-down on the field. Then I'll pick up my original face-down monster card and place it back into my hand." Picking up the first creature card, the dark-suited man slid it back amongst his other cards.

Taking another card from his hand, Daniel placed it onto his disk. "Now I summon Edge Knight (1500/1300) in attack mode!" A warrior wearing futuristic silver armor and blade-bracers appeared on his field. "Attack his face-down monster!" The Edge Knight launched across the field and slashed right through the face-down monster card. It came apart to reveal a little green gremlin holding onto a jar, and letting out a little shriek of pain the creature died.

Giovan slid the monster card into his graveyard. "The creature you destroyed was Greed Goblin (300/1200) and when it is destroyed in battle I may draw one card from my deck." Casually he pulled the card off of the top of his deck, adding it to his hand. "Now, anything else you would like to do before I take my turn."

Nodding, Daniel slid a card into his duel disk. "Yeah, I'll set one card face-down on my field. End turn." The card appeared on the field right behind his Edge Knight.

Giovan drew his card. "So there's the soul of a knight in your heart? Interesting indeed..."

Daniel smirked, "It's just as interesting that a goblin is in yours."

Shrugging the insult off, Giovan placed a card onto his disk. "I set a monster down on my field in defense mode, ending my turn."

"You like to play defensively a lot, you know that right?" Daniel wasn't sure why, but he didn't feel so pressured to win. The only thing on the line was his life, and he was fine with that. It was when the end of the world rode on his win that things would get dicey.

Chuckling, Giovan slid his fan of cards closed. "That's enough analysis for now. Let's play."

Daniel drew. "Heh, it looks like I am going to get cracking down on your life points right now. I play the magic card Chrono Jump. This card allows us both to jump ahead three turns, and that means we each draw three cards."

Giovan drew his three new cards and added them to his hand. "Is there any particular reason that you are helping me?"

Drawing his three cards, Daniel winked to his opponent. "Because you're just soooo adorable that I thought I'd give you a present."

The splintered soul laughed gently at that. "I must admit that this is a rather entertaining duel, considering the stakes."

Taking a card from his hand, Daniel placed it onto his disk. "Trust me; it is only to get better. For now I summon Elemental Hero-Burst Lady (1200/800) in attack mode!" There was an explosion of fire next to his Edge Knight, and from within the fire emerged a winged woman in red spandex wearing a mask that concealed her face.

"A superhero?" Giovan chuckled. "I suppose that would be in the soul of young man, wouldn't it? Well then, let her and your knight come, for I am ready for them."

"We'll see. Burst Lady, Fire Blaze attack!" The woman charged up a ball within the palm of her hand. With expert aim she threw it across the field towards Giovan's face-down monster card.

"I would have hoped that you'd have been smarter than that, my friend! Reveal face-down trap card, Chaos Reversal! This will send your monster's attack right back at it!" A wave of multi-colored energy exploded from the card, striking the fireball and sending it back towards Burst Lady. "That was a foolish mistake."

"Was it?" Smirking, Daniel motioned to his face-down card. "Open face-down trap card, Healing Reversal! This will not only send my Burst Lady's attack back to your field, but I will also gain life points equal to her attack total." A golden wave of energy slammed into the fireball and knocked it back over towards Giovan's field, where it slammed right into the face-down monster card, blowing it apart.

Daniel- 5200

Giovan- 4000

Holding up the monster card, Giovan shook his head sadly. "You should know that attacking one of my face-down cards is just asking for trouble though. After all, I am the master of Torture Machines, right?" Sliding the card into his duel disk, he smiled as a metal chair appeared on his field. "You've attacked Torture Machine-Shocker (1200/900) and that spells trouble for your monster." Chains exploded out of the body of the Torture Machine, wrapping around the spandex-clad woman and pulling her into the chair. "Now every turn you monster will be electrified for 1000 points of damage, and so will you."

Grimacing, Daniel pointed at Giovan. "Edge Knight, direct attack!" Launching across the field, the knight slashed right into the man's body, leaving behind huge gashes in his chest.

Daniel- 5200

Giovan- 2500

Giovan didn't seem to mind though. "I will survive all pain, for despite our differences Sestros and I are also the same. Pain is pleasure to us." His smile was oddly calm.

Daniel took two cards from out of his hand and slid them into his duel disk. "Don't think that I'm out of tricks already. For now though, I'll just set two cards face-down on my field and end my turn."

Giovan drew and placed a card from his hand onto his disk. "I think I'm done defending. Now that I have you on the run, I'll begin my assault. I summon Blackheart the Fallen (2000/1900) in attack mode." A huge black demon appeared on his field. "And his special ability won't be a problem for me. You see, he must have something equipped to him or else he cannot attack." Taking a card from his hand, he slid it into his duel disk. "So I'll equip him with the magic card Black Whip of Nightmares!" A jet-black whip appeared in the hands of the demon. "This will raise my creature's attack power by 500 points, as well as force every monster it attacks to go to switch modes! Now, crush his Edge Knight!" The demon roared and charged forwards, its whip held high into the air.

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Ryu had already left the arena behind, knowing that Rikuo was in need of medical attention.

Shortly after he had left though, something within the ball of shadows stirred...

_To be continued..._

Author's notes:

To Seeker of the Soul: Jourgen is a mystery character when it comes to stuff like that. How he got into the Darkness Game is his (and my) little secret.

To Grisham: It ain't quite over yet. And now for the questions...

Rikuo ended up with Sestros deck mostly as a little irony on his part, it didn't have to do with anything involving the game. It was still Sestros' turn and technically it was also still his battle phase.

Why did Hellblade attack Sestros? Because of Rikuo's trap card which was still in effect. Hellblade was immune to magic and trap effects of its enemy, but that didn't mean that it was immune to Rikuo's effects, because Hellblade and Daniel's soul had been clashing at the activation time of Attack Redirection Armor. Daniel's soul had won out and Hellblade had been affected by the Attack Redirection effect, meaning his new target was Sestros.

As for the predictability of the end of the duel? :P on you. I'm not done yet!

Sestros sensed the energy of the Leap of Faith card, which was a power so holy and pure that it was like a beacon to his senses. Therefore, he was trying to break Rikuo's concentration so that the wolf demon would have drawn Leap of Faith. Thanks to his trust in the light though, Leap of Faith turned into Hope of Faith.

To Falcon Demon General:

Rikuo: You dare to copy me!? I will smite you! MWHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Daniel: .....................................Don't mind him, he's a depraved soul.......

Rikuo: HEY!


	32. Heroes and Villains

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 32: Heroes and villains

_Daniel took two cards from out of his hand and slid them into his duel disk. "Don't think that I'm out of tricks already. For now though, I'll just set two cards face-down on my field and end my turn."_

_Giovan drew and placed a card from his hand onto his disk. "I think I'm done defending. Now that I have you on the run, I'll begin my assault. I summon Blackheart the Fallen (2000/1900) in attack mode." A huge black demon appeared on his field. "And his special ability won't be a problem for me. You see, he must have something equipped to him or else he cannot attack." Taking a card from his hand, he slid it into his duel disk. "So I'll equip him with the magic card Black Whip of Nightmares!" A jet-black whip appeared in the hands of the demon. "This will raise my creature's attack power by 500 points, as well as force every monster it attacks to go to switch modes! Now, crush his Edge Knight!" The demon roared and charged forwards, its whip held high into the air._

Daniel grimaced as his Edge Knight fell to one knee. ("At least he's in defense mode.")

Giovan saw the hopeful look in Daniel's eyes. "The special power of my monster will deal the attack of whatever creature it destroys in damage to its opponent. Bad luck for you, friend."

Daniel braced himself as waves of black energy rolled over his body, ripping away a hunk of his life points.

Daniel- 3700

Giovan- 2500

The half wolf-demon recovered quickly and motioned to one of his face-down cards. It flipped face-up and a green spotlight slammed into the ceiling of the room, projecting a huge black H into the sky. "Reveal Hero Signal! When I lose a monster in battle, I may special summon any monster from my deck with the title of 'Hero' in its name! So I'll summon Elemental Hero-Featherman!" (1000/1000) A masked man in a green bird costume appeared on the field.

Giovan narrowed his eyes at the new creature. "Hmmm, superheroes eh? I must admit that I am intrigued." Taking a card from his hand, he slid it into his duel disk. "Now I'll set one more card face-down on my field. End turn."

Daniel drew. "Alright, here..."

Giovan waved his finger in the air. "Not so fast, first the effect of my Torture Machine-Shocker activates!" The chair sent huge amounts of electricity into the Burst Lady and therefore, into Daniel.

Daniel- 2700

Giovan- 2500

Crashing to his knees, Daniel could barely breathe through the wisps of smoke that were rising off of his skin. ("O....w......")

Giovan watched the boy's pain impassively. "Come now, you can do better than that, can't you?"

Coming to his feet, Daniel nodded. "Oh I surely can, just watch! Activate Polymerization, fusing Featherman and Burst Lady together!" The metal chair that held Burst Lady in place shuddered and exploded, and then the two monsters were pulled together. The new creature looked like a sexless green and red monster with a dragon's head for one arm. "Now I call upon the power of Elemental Hero-Flame Wingman!" (2100/1800)

Giovan motioned to the black demon on his field. "If you have forgotten so quickly, my creature is obviously stronger than yours. What will you do about that?"

Smiling, Daniel slid a card from his hand into his duel disk. "I'll give my creature a power-up with the equipment magic card Fusion Weapon!" On Flame Wingman's other hand a powerful looking gun appeared. "This will raise my monster's attack and defense points by 1500!" (3600/3300) "Attack his demon now Flame Wingman! Explosive Burst!" Raising its dragon head arm, the hero monster unleashed a wave of flame that tore across the ground towards Giovan's monster. "And since my creature has the same damage effect as your monster does, you're about to lose what remains of your life points!"

Giovan sighed. "You haven't improved as much as I had hoped. Reveal face-down quick-play magic card, Mask of Seals! This will allow me to negate the effect of one card on the field for one turn, so I'll negate the bonus you get from Fusion Weapon!" A blank green mask flew across the field and slapped onto Flame Wingman's face, dropping his attack points right before the fire blast slammed into Blackheart, though it didn't damage the unholy beast at all. (2100/1800)

Daniel's eyes widened and mute horror was plainly visible on his face. "Oh no!"

"Oh yes! Counter-attack!" Blackheart flew across the field and smashed its whip right into the hero monster's face, blowing him apart. "That's not all though, for now my monster's effect activates!"

Daniel, who had been clutching at his nose as the pain of the Flame Wingman's death, wasn't prepared for the sudden waves of darkness that slammed into his form and threw him backwards.

Daniel- 200

Giovan- 2500

Giovan chuckled and crossed his arms across his chest. "You're all out of tricks, my friend. With only 200 life points remaining, most plays you can make will not be enough."

"I'm...not out yet! Reveal face-down magic card Repair and Reinforce, which will heal twice the amount of damage that I have taken from a monster effect!" A green light washed over Daniel's body as the card healed him of all of his wounds.

Daniel- 4400

Giovan- 2500

Taking one of his two remaining cards, Daniel placed it onto his duel disk. "Now I set one monster in defense mode. End turn." The card appeared on the field in front of him.

"That means it's my turn, so draw!" Giovan drew his card and fanned out his seven cards. "Perhaps Chrono Jump wasn't a good idea, eh?"

Daniel smiled. "We'll see, now won't we?"

"Indeed we will," Giovan slid a card from his hand into his duel disk, and then taking another card from his hand he discarded it. "I'll activate the magic card Symbolic Loss! This requires that I discard a monster from my hand, but it will destroy one monster on the field and deal you the destroyed creature's attack in damage!" A huge black guillotine appeared right over Daniel's card. "DIE!" The guillotine slammed downwards and slashed right through the face-down card.

Throwing back his head, Daniel screamed through the blood that sprayed out of his mouth. His face-down monster, Buster Knight, (1800/1500) was instantly destroyed.

Daniel- 2600

Giovan- 2500

Giovan smiled slowly and pointed at Daniel. "Now, Blackheart will wipe out all but 100 of your life points! Attack with Black Whip of Nightmares!" The demon charged across the field, weapon held above its head.

"No...not yet! Reveal face-down trap card, A Hero Emerges!" Daniel's face-down card flipped up. The half wolf-demon smiled, his teeth stained red from his own blood. "Now you pick one card in my hand, and if it is a monster it is special summoned to the field. And since I only have one card in my hand...." Spitting some blood onto the ground, he slapped the card onto his disk. "I summon Big Shield Gardna (100/2600) to the field in attack mode!" A man carrying a huge shield appeared on the field.

"Attack mode!?" Giovan couldn't believe he had heard that. "Are you mad?"

"Actually, I'm quite sane. If I had placed it into defense mode, then your whip would have changed it into attack mode. Now though, it will switch into defense mode!" Daniel smirked as the man fell to one knee and raised his shield to block the attack.

Daniel- 2600

Giovan- 2400

"And then its special ability switches my monster back into attack mode." The man stood back up.

Giovan rubbed at the bruise that had just appeared on his cheek. "Very clever indeed. For such a smart boy, I think a gift is in order." Taking a card from his hand, he slid it into his disk. "I play the magic card Dark Graceful Charity! This will allow you to draw three cards and discard two, and I get to draw two cards."

Daniel pulled three cards off the top of his deck. "So far, we actually seem fairly evenly matched." Picking two of the three cards, he slid them into his graveyard.

Giovan slid a card into his duel disk and placed a monster next to his Blackheart. "Now I set one card face-down and one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Daniel drew. "Alright, let's see if my soul is stronger than yours." Picking one of the two cards, he slid it into his duel disk. "First off, I'll play an old favorite, Pot of Greed." He drew two cards and slid one into his duel disk. "Then I'll set one card face-down on the field and end my turn."

Giovan had to smile at that clever play. ("By leaving his Big Shield Gardna in attack mode, I cannot attack it with my Blackheart. However, he forgot one important thing.") The dark-suited man drew. ("I have plenty of other attackers in my hand.")

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From within the empty arena that had housed the level 10 darkness game, the orb of blackness had finished whatever dark processes had been occurring within its mass. Without making a sound, it faded away...

("I...will...not...be...beaten...") A single, enormous black form slid off of the arena and began its slow approach up the slope of the tunnel. ("I...have...found...it....")

A single blood-red eye glowed in the darkness. ("The immortality of the night...")

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Giovan slid his face-down monster into the graveyard. "I sacrifice my face-down monster to summon Blood Sword (2000/400) in attack mode." A crimson-armored demon wielding a pair of curved knives appeared on the field. "And its special ability is a very powerful one, for it gives my creature a 500 attack point bonus for every equipment magic card on it. Like this one for example!" Taking a card from his hand, he slid it into his duel disk. "I play the equipment magic card Infernal Infusion! This will raise its attack power by 500 points for every demon on the field." (3500/400)

Daniel frowned at the sight of the huge monster. ("This could pose a problem.")

Pointing at the Big Shield Gardna, Giovan sneered. "Attack it now, Blood Sword!" The demon roared and charged, shaking the earth with its steps.

"Reveal face-down trap card, Mirror Force!" A blue barrier sprang up between the two monsters, stopping the Blood Sword's attack cold. "This will negate your attack and destroy all attack mode monsters on your field. Reflection Blast!" A shotgun explosion of energy ripped across the field and blew both of Giovan's monsters apart.

The dark-suited business man frowned at the sight of his field empty, excluding his face-down card. "Very clever, you knew I would attempt to attack with a different monster didn't you?"

Rubbing his index finger under his nose, Daniel smiled proudly. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't..."

Chuckling, Giovan looked his remaining three cards over. "For you to have something like Mirror Force in your Soul Deck...that's impressive. However, I'm not out of moves yet!" Grasping the middle card of his hand, he slid it into his duel disk. "Activate the magic card Iron Nightmare!" A wall of jet-black steel shot up between them. "This will stop your attacks for one turn."

Daniel drew. "I sacrifice my Big Shield Gardna to summon Jinzo!" (2400/1500) The green armored humanoid appeared on its master's field and chuckled coldly.

Giovan nodded. "I knew he'd show up eventually."

"That's right, and I'm not done yet, because I equip Jinzo with the magic card Stasis Shift! This will allow me to switch his mode whenever I choose." A green field of energy appeared around the machine monster. "End turn."

Giovan drew and placed a monster onto his duel disk. "As long as Jinzo is on the field, I am unable to do very much this turn. So I set a creature in defense and end my turn."

Daniel drew and slid the card into his duel disk. "Now I play Warrior Returning Alive, which will let me pick up one monster from my graveyard that is a warrior!" His graveyard whined and spat out a card. Grabbing it, he slapped it onto his duel disk. "Then I'll play Elemental Hero-Sparkman (1600/1400) in attack mode!" A blue and yellow man in armor appeared on the field, a blue helmet hiding his face.

"Jinzo, attack his monster now!" The metal humanoid cupped its hands together and unleashed a wave of energy that consumed Giovan's face-down monster.

Holding up the creature card, Giovan snickered. "A nice move, but you've triggered the effect of my Torture Jar!" (300/200) "When it is destroyed in battle, you must discard one card in your hand for every monster on your field. If you do not, then however many cards you did not discard equal how many monster's will be destroyed."

Daniel nodded solemnly and discarded the one card in his hand. "I choose to discard one card, since that is all I have. I will use it to protect Sparkman. Forgive me, Jinzo." The metal humanoid shuddered and exploded. The half wolf-demon's eyes snapped open. "And you will pay for that, Giovan! Sparkman, direct attack!" The electrical hero opened its palm and unleashed a wave of lightning that rushed across the field towards Giovan.

A calm smile appeared on the business man's face. "Actually, no I will not. Reveal Shield of Dead Souls!" A barrier of white ectoplasm sprang up into front of his as one of his monsters was removed. "Sorry, but apparently this card is bonded to my very soul. I suppose that I will even use the dead to further my plans, eh?"

There wasn't anything else Daniel could do. "End turn."

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Using his hand to block out the sunlight that was nearly blinding him, Rikuo exited the cave with Ryu.

And he nearly was crushed under the suddenly flying figure of Jasmine. "You're okay!"

"GAH!" Rikuo was hurtled backwards, slamming onto his back. A few awkward seconds passed while Jasmine nearly squeezed the life out of him in the form of a hug, and then Ryu helped him to his feet.

Everyone else walked up to him and smiled. Even Esmin, who still really didn't care, had to smile a little bit. "The returning hero?"

Rikuo shook his head. "Not yet. First I'll make my wish and revive Daniel. Then I'll feel like a..." His breath suddenly sharpened and his eyes widened.

"What's wrong Rikuo?" Jasmine couldn't tell why Rikuo looked so pale.

"What's wrong is that..." The speaking voice stopped in mid-sentence, the sound echoing from inside the tunnel. "...he has one of my claws sticking right into his heart."

Jasmine paled, as did everyone else. They all looked at Rikuo's back to see a huge bloody spike of bone sticking out at an angle that could only mean his head was pierced.

Ryu slowly turned his attention to the tunnel, his mind still numb. "Sestros....it can't be..."

"Oh it can be, my little dragon..." The Torture King's demon form was so black that it mixed right in with the darkness. "And this time, Rikuo won't be able to turn the tables on me." With one tug of his claw the spike withdrew and pulled the wolf demon's body right out of the embrace of Jasmine.

Everyone continued to stare numbly as the shadowed demon king caught the corpse of his ex-general. "Rikuo Amero..." The body exploded in a flash of black flame, "...was the first." Stomping forward, the Torture King entered into the light. "Now who's next?"

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

Gohan11: Cause that's the first Elemental Hero card that came to mind.

Seeker of the Soul: This isn't done yet. Not by a freaking long shot.

GryphinWyrm7: Now you have my attention. I'm rather curious about this system that you say is like my Soul Duel System.


	33. Immortal Evil Incarnate

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 33: Immortal Evil Incarnate

"_Oh it can be, my little dragon..." The Torture King's demon form was so black that it mixed right in with the darkness. "And this time, Rikuo won't be able to turn the tables on me." With one tug of his claw the spike withdrew and pulled the wolf demon's body right out of the embrace of Jasmine. _

_Everyone continued to stare numbly as the shadowed demon king caught the corpse of his ex-general. "Rikuo Amero..." The body exploded in a flash of black flame, "...was the first." Stomping forward, the Torture King entered into the light. "Now who's next?"_

Ryu's mind finally managed to accept exactly what had just happened... ("Rikuo...") His golden aura exploded around him. "Sestros...I'll kill you!"

The Torture King, one of his blood-shot eyes missing, rumbled out cold laughter. "You can't even match me when Bahamut was helping you. What makes you think that I have gotten any weaker?"

"I doubt you could have gotten any stronger in less than an hour," Esmin said from behind Ryu, the Shadow Whip in his hand. While he didn't care to help these damned humans, he had no intention of letting Sestros kill anybody. "And this time you'll have to face me as well. Not to mention my dear sister, for you did kill the demon she loved." His voice, as always, was ridiculously calm.

Sestros continued to laugh. "All of you are fools if you think I can be defeated again."

Ryu snapped his head back to CJ, Deondre, and Siegfried. "Get everyone out of here now! Get on the plane and leave this place!"

CJ shook his head resolutely, as did Deondre and Siegfried. "We're not leaving."

Sestros' laughter stopped, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "No one is leaving anyway. I will not allow any of you to escape." A ball of black flame exploded to life within one claw. "So, who wants to die next?"

Esmin and Ryu exchanged glances. Together, if they combined their powers, they might be able to bring Sestros down.

Sestros caught the look. "I see, so you wish to try and team up on me? Sure, I'd be more than glad to prove my true power."

Esmin snapped the Shadow Whip out. "I'll take your head off in one hit."

Ryu's aura flared again. "Not if I consume him in flames first."

The Torture King rumbled out another burst of laughter. "What makes you think that either of you are going to beat me at all?"

"One...two..." The two demons counted with slight smiles on their faces. They knew that this was a suicide charge, but they intended to go down fighting.

Then Jasmine snapped out of the haze that she had been in...and the first things her eyes fell upon were the body of the creature that killed Rikuo. "You..."

Sestros didn't even get a chance to respond as she was suddenly right in front of his face. Her face as calm as death, the Kitsune plunged both of the Shadow Knives right into the Torture King's remaining eye.

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_Daniel nodded solemnly and discarded the one card in his hand. "I choose to discard one card, since that is all I have. I will use it to protect Sparkman. Forgive me, Jinzo." The metal humanoid shuddered and exploded. The half wolf-demon's eyes snapped open. "And you will pay for that, Giovan! Sparkman, direct attack!" The electrical hero opened its palm and unleashed a wave of lightning that rushed across the field towards Giovan._

_A calm smile appeared on the business man's face. "Actually, no I will not. Reveal Shield of Dead Souls!" A barrier of white ectoplasm sprang up into front of his as one of his monsters was removed. "Sorry, but apparently this card is bonded to my very soul. I suppose that I will even use the dead to further my plans, eh?"_

_There wasn't anything else Daniel could do. "End turn."_

Giovan drew a card off the top of his deck. "And now it's my turn. Luckily for you I don't have a monster that can defeat yours, but that doesn't mean I am out of tricks yet. I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Daniel drew. "I will not let you get away with forcing me to give up Jinzo. That card holds an importance to me that you cannot understand." He slapped a card onto his duel disk. "I summon Elemental Hero-Clayman (800/2000) in defense mode!" A golem-like creature appeared on his field with its arm up in front of it.

"Sparkman attack!" The hero monster splayed open his hand and unleashed a wave of electrical energy that was stopped by another wall of ectoplasm that exploded out of Giovan's field. "And yes, I know that it was going to be stopped. However, I will tear that Shield of Dead Spirits down, even if I have to force you to remove all of the monsters in your graveyard! End turn!"

Giovan drew. "You're wasting your time. Every time a monster of mine goes to the graveyard, my supply of energy for the Shield of Dead Spirits gets bigger. And with this magic card in play, you're not going to be touching me for a long time!" Taking the card he had drawn, he slid it into his duel disk. "I play the continuous magic card Ectoplasmer! As long as this is in play, we must each sacrifice a monster at the end phase of our turn." His smile said that he wanted that. "And half of that sacrificed monster's attack points get deducted from our opponent's life points."

Taking another card from his hand, he placed it onto his disk. "That's where my Malice Doll of Demise comes into play." (1600/1700) A horrible wooden doll wielding a hatchet appeared on the field. "Whenever this creature becomes sacrificed to a continuous magic card, it will reappear on my field at the beginning of my next turn. So...take it away, Ectoplasmer!" The face-up magic card sucked the soul out of the doll and spat it at Daniel.

Daniel- 1800

Giovan- 2400

The dark-suited business man chuckled. "This duel is going to end very soon for one of us, so let's give it our best. End turn."

Daniel drew. "I set one card face-down." The card appeared in front of him. "And then I attack with Sparkman, Thunder Shock!" The hero attacked once more, and again the attack slammed harmlessly into the white wall of ectoplasm. "End turn."

Giovan waved his finger in the air. "Hold on, you must sacrifice one monster on your field."

"Fine! I sacrifice Clayman!" The stone hero monster faded away.

Daniel- 1800

Giovan- 2000

Smirking, Giovan drew. "And now my Malice Doll returns to the field." The wooden puppet reappeared on his field.

("I have to think of something...") Daniel felt drops of sweat slid down his cheek. Though he was enjoying himself, he had to admit that he didn't want to lose. ("There's too much for me to go back to.")

Giovan slid a card into his duel disk. "I first will set one card face-down on my field. And then I will sacrifice my face-down monster card to summon Summoned Skull!"  
(2500/1200) A horrendous bone demon appeared on his field. "Lightning Strike!" Electricity pulsed around the demon's horns, and then it unleashed a wave of lightning towards Daniel's Sparkman.

The half wolf-demon had to admit that he was lucky. ("He's set up the perfect situation for me!") "Activate face-down quickplay magic card! Go Underdog's Retaliation! This card requires that I have one of the weakest monsters on the field. If I do, it will allow me to sacrifice Sparkman and reflect your attack back at all of your creatures!" The super-hero monster leaped forwards and slammed right into the lightning wave, carrying it with him back to Giovan's field. "Super Lightning Return!" There was an echoing explosion as Giovan's two monsters were completely destroyed.

Daniel- 1800

Giovan- 1100

Giovan knew he was in trouble...until he remembered what he had on his field. ("Shield of Dead Spirits protects me from his attacks. That means....") "For now I end my turn."

Closing his eyes, Daniel imagined Rikuo standing next to him. ("I know we have never seen eye to eye...but...")

The image of Rikuo shook its head. _("I understand. Now win, so I can wish you back to the land of the living.")_

Smiling, Daniel drew and glanced at the card. "This card has a special that's perfect for this situation. You see, I have no cards on my field or in my hand. That means..." He slapped the card onto his duel disk. "I can special summon this monster to the field! Go Elemental Hero-Bubbleman!" (800/1200) In an explosion of rainbow-colored bubbles, a super-hero monster in light-blue appeared on the field, striking a ridiculous pose as he did so.

Giovan stared at the new creature. "What...in the hell? Bubbleman? What kind of hero is that!?"

"I don't make them, I just play them." Smirking, Daniel motioned to his monster. "And thanks to his special ability, if he is the only card on my field when he is summoned, then I can draw two cards!" His hand snapped two cards off of his deck.

("That foolish boy thinks he can end this right now? I still have my Shield of Dead Souls in play.") Giovan knew he was safe, but something felt wrong...and then he figured it out. "Oh no..."

With a smile on his face, Daniel slid a card from his hand into his graveyard, and then the other card into his duel disk. "You figured it out, I see? Your Shield of Dead Souls is strong against all attacks. However, one monster can stop you, and by playing this magic card I can bring him back to the field. Activate Sacred Resurrection! This requires that I must discard one card from my hand and sacrifice one monster on my field. In exchange, I may special summon one monster from my graveyard to the field. I already discarded the card, so it's time to sacrifice the monster!" Bubbleman faded off the field. "Good-bye Bubbleman....and hello Jinzo!" A coffin rose up out of the ground, and it slowly opened...

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Sestros roared in rage and unleashed a wave of black energy that sent Jasmine flying off of him. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!!! FOR YOU TO HAVE THE AUDACITY..." The Shadow Knives fell out of his dripping eye socket and hit the ground.

Ryu smirked at the sight. "What can you do now, Sestros? If you can't see, then you can't attack."

Sestros was silent, his enormous head still lowered towards the ground. Drops of black blood fell to the grass, the only sound around them. And then Sestros threw back his head and laughed insanely. "If I cannot have sight, then neither shall you!!!" The Torture King lifted his claws up into the air. "And I said 'let there be darkness'!" A wave of energy launched skywards, seeming to blot out the sun and plunge the surrounding area into blackness so thick that it was like being blind to be within it. "And it was good...." His laughter told everyone that now the advantage was his again.

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"Are you awake yet, Mutt?" A dark voice said.

("Where am I?") Rikuo slowly lifted his head. He was sitting down in a chair for some reason, and all around him there was the purple and black energy of a darkness game in effect. "Where...how...Sestros?"

"Wrong on all accounts, actually..." The voice replied.

Rikuo's eyes went back into focus slowly, and he realized that his hands and chin were resting on some kind of stone table. "What's going on? The last thing I remember..."

"Sestros killed you." The voice, which was somewhere in front of him, replied again. "You should get over that fact, because you're not done fighting yet."

Rikuo's eyes lifted up and he saw who the speaker was. It was a demon in humanoid form sitting casually in a stone chair across the table from him. The other demon was wearing crimson robes, and his oily black hair was contrasted by a pair of bone-white horns that were on both sides of his head. "Who in the hells are you?"

"Me?" The demon mocked looking offended. "To think you have never heard my voice, and yet I've heard yours. We met once, but it wasn't face to face." His eyes were steel-grey and cold, like those of a killer. "It's a shame though, for I actually have a history with you." Throwing back his robes and draping his legs over the table, he chuckled. "Now, let's see if you can figure it out."

Rikuo furrowed his brow, scrounging his faded memories for something about this demon.

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The coffin opened and a pair of red lens eyes glared at Giovan.

Fear filled the heart of the dark-suited business man. "No!!!"

Smiling as his favorite monster stepped out of the coffin, Daniel pointed at the face-up Shield of Dead Souls. "Good-bye Giovan Garlin, and may you find peace in oblivion. Trap Negation!" Jinzo's eye lenses flashed and the trap cards on Giovan's field went dark. "Now, attack with Cyber Shock!!" A ball of black energy appeared within the machine monster's palms.

Giovan knew he couldn't run from this. With a slight smile on his face, he matched looks with Daniel. "You've passed the test." He threw a small salute to his opponent. "You're finally a true warrior. So with that, I wish you a good life. Perhaps we will meet again?"

"Perhaps we just might." Daniel smiled and returned the salute. "Now sleep, Giovan Garlin." Jinzo unleashed its attack.

Daniel- 1800

Giovan- 0

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"Well, have you figured it out yet?" The demon was getting tired of watching Rikuo scrunch up his face.

Finally, Rikuo shook his head. "I don't know who you are. We have never met, and I never heard your voice either."

"I see, that's too bad. You'll have to go without knowing." Sliding his legs off the table, the demon waved his hand and the table's surface faded, becoming replaced by an eagle's eye view of the island where the battle between Sestros and the remaining demons were taking place. "I find it funny how I've been manipulating everyone since day one. Sestros was far too easy to control, as his spirit was so focused on killing you. Seren...heh, child's play as well."

The view on the table focused inwards on a patch of darkness, where Rikuo could make out the occasional forms of an explosion or wingtip. "What's going on?"

A derisive snort escaped the demon's lips. "What do you think? Sestros is having some fun with your friends."

Growling, Rikuo started to stand up. "I'll kill him, just like I've done three times now!"

"You think it is that easy to leave? Don't you even understand who I am, and what this is?" The demon looked rather annoyed now.

"I don't give a damn! I'm going to find my way to my friends, kill Sestros, and then make my wish to bring Daniel back!"

The demon's steel-grey eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you understand that your duel against Sestros wasn't the Purge?"

Rikuo scoffed, "Of course it was!"

The demon shook his head. "Let me put it like this for you...what you did was something like the semi-finals. I'm your final opponent."

Rikuo crashed down into his chair. "I'm getting tired of your bullshitting. You're not important to me."

"I'm not? Do you even realize what my purpose is behind all of this?" The demon looked sly. "I created the Purge."

Rikuo shrugged that bit of information off. "So what? It's not like it matters to me that you created it."

"I'm tired of hoping you'll suddenly grow a brain." Throwing back his robes and his hands, the demon sneered. "I have existed for over ten thousand years, and the Purge was my invention, for the winner of it came to me. Though you have never seen me before, I'm sure you'll know my name..."

His next words had Rikuo nearly falling out of his chair. "I...am...Valeus!" Throwing back his head, the demon mage laughed into the darkness.

_To be continued..._


	34. The Darkness Game to end them all

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 34: The Darkness Game to end them all

"_I'm tired of hoping you'll suddenly grow a brain." Throwing back his robes and his hands, the demon sneered. "I have existed for over ten thousand years, and the Purge was my invention, for the winner of it came to me. Though you have never seen me before, I'm sure you'll know my name..."_

_His next words had Rikuo nearly falling out of his chair. "I...am...Valeus!" Throwing back his head, the demon mage laughed into the darkness._

"V...Valeus!?" Rikuo leap up. "You have to be lying! You were banished by my ancestors long ago!"

Valeus, a wicked smile on his face, waved a finger. "You should know better than to think that banishment means forever. Deondre never told you this, but I finally escaped my prison and took over his body for a short amount of time. Unforetunately, I lost to him in a darkness game and I was sent to Envirius, who destroyed the crystal my soul was stored in."

A short laugh escaped his throat. "So I suppose you could blame him for all of this madness. You see, I cannot die or be destroyed. It was a long time ago, but I found a state of existence know as the 'immortality of night' in which I am as close to immortal you can get without reaching it. When Envirius destroyed the crystal, all he did was free me."

Rubbing his bronze skin, the demon mage looked down at the projection within the table, where the form of Ryu in his dragon shape was unleashing another Solar Stream on Sestros. "After my escape, I engineered Daniel's success against Yamidra. I couldn't have the end of the world stop my plans, now could I?"

Rikuo had returned to his seat, his eyes watching Valeus angrily. "So, what will our game be?"

Valeus pouted and threw up his hand in exasperation. "You're no fun at all! Jeeze, I bet Daniel would love to hear all of this explaining as to why I am doing all of this."

"Don't speak his name in vain, you slime." Rikuo, while calm on the outside, was considering thousands of ways to make Valeus' immortality get turned against him. "All I want is for this crazy crap to end. It's tiring to watch you evil monsters return from the darkness again and again to threaten my friends and family."

Valeus had thrown aside all of his previous niceties, his cold steel eyes meeting Rikuo's burning golden ones. "I think without all of this you would lose your purpose in life. That's my opinion though, so I guess I should just not bother with it. The facts are what really matter here, and the fact is that Sestros is immortal, just like me. Nothing any of you can do will kill or slow him down anymore. However, there is a way to seal him away and still get your wish."

"Then let's duel and get this over with, Valeus." Rikuo continued to rely upon his training as a general of war to get him through this. His opponent was a force that outweighed him when it came to power. However, he knew he could win in a duel against Valeus, if the mage was unable to defeat Deondre. ("And I can beat him, so logically I can defeat you.")

From across the table, Valeus continued his wicked smile. "You think you can win? Actually, you might have a chance, even though it will be a small one." With a wave of his hand, the table shuddered and warped to change into a huge gaming board. On Valeus' side of the table was a single huge stone figurine of Sestros in his demon form. Meanwhile, on Rikuo's side, there were smaller stone figurines representing all of the wolf demon's friends.

Rikuo didn't like the look of this. He could play any game like a pro, but he was best at Duel Monsters. "What's all this supposed to be?"

"This will be our playing board." Valeus motioned to the Sestros piece. Above it was a glowing set of statistics.

_Torture King Sestros; Final Form (Immortal of night)_

_Life points: 90000_

_Special Abilities: Darkness Creation_

_Abyssal Sun Levels 1-3_

_Flight_

_Shadow-walk_

_Immortality_

_Fear Infusion_

"Is it sinking in yet, Rikuo? This game will not be a Duel Monsters match...at least not like one you have ever done before." Valeus calmly waved his hand and the darkness next to them warped and shifted. There was now a picture of the real field, so that they could see what was happening.

Someone had managed to dispel the darkness, and Sestros had regenerated his lost eye, so he was going on the offensive now. Ryu, Esmin and Jasmine were doing some damage to him, but from what Rikuo could see, it wasn't having any effect on the Torture King's life point total. "What's the point of all this Valeus?"

"Quite simply, my dear Rikuo." He motioned to his side of the table, where there were three black boxes of stone. "These lovely little things are another rule. But first, I'll explain the basics for you." His hand pointed to the three pieces on Rikuo's board.

_Ryu (Jourgen)_

_Life Points: 3950_

_Special Abilities: Dragon Ascension (In effect)_

_Solar Stream_

_Fireball level 1-2_

_Jasmine_

_Life Points: 6300_

_Special Abilities: Shadow Knives_

_Demon Speed_

_Thievery_

_Esmin_

_Life Points: 5000_

_Special Abilities: Shadow Whip_

_Plant Control_

_Demon Speed_

_Thievery_

Rikuo looked at each of the pieces in turn, grimacing whenever one of the life points totals would drop. "So, this is some kind of Role-playing Game?"

Valeus snapped his fingers. "Bingo!" He pointed at the wolf demon. "You're a quick learner when it comes to gaming. Anyway, each of your three pieces represents your friends. If they die then nothing will happen to you, but I doubt you'll let them die, so who cares? We each have 8000 life points, and as you can see from the table, a normal dueling field. Our decks will be Soul Decks, so that neither of us can cheat in this battle."

Rikuo felt a pull on his soul as a deck of forty cards appeared in front of him. "And what are in the three boxes?"

Valeus rested his hand on one of them. "Each of these three boxes contains an item of incredible power. Of course, to get access to one of them you will have to skip three whole turns, so you'd better hope whichever of your three boxes you open has something useful inside." He snickered. "And as always, whoever hits zero life points first loses. Oh, and just as a little bonus hint from me to you, if you successfully knock Sestros' life points to zero, then you will seal him away forever. And yes, it will be forever...unless someone is stupid enough to attempt to let him out."

Rikuo rested a hand on his Soul Deck, feeling it pulse with warmth. ("Those cards represent my desire to protect my friends and family...I will not lose!") "Let's get this duel started!"

"Sure, but first off...I think it would be unfair to leave you in such dire straits. Your friends are exhausted and tired, so let me restore everyone back to full health." The stats on the projections shot up to 8000.

"That's awfully nice of you..." Rikuo knew there was some kind of catch.

"Sestros is restored back to his original health score of 200000, so don't start thanking me for healing everyone." Sure enough, the Torture King's score read 200000. "Ready to get started?"

The wolf demon nodded his approval. "I'm ready to take you down!"

"Excellent...then let the real darkness game begin!" Valeus' smile was still strangely calm. "Darkness game level 11-Game of Gods...begin!"

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 8000

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: The Game of Gods

Author's Notes: As always, this is one of my four-page intermission chapters in between big events. And yes, this is the actual final darkness game.

To Seeker of the Soul: Actually, I owe some pittance to Takahashi for that idea. The Yami no RPG sounded so cool, and I wanted to end my story on a game different from all others. Yami Bakura....is so...evil! ::Shivers::

To Neo Arkadia: Kinda sorta is the end of the series...it's hard to explain, so I'll get around to figuring out an explanation after this all ends.


	35. The Game of Gods

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 35: The Game of Gods

_The wolf demon nodded his approval. "I'm ready to take you down!"_

"_Excellent...then let the real darkness game begin!" Valeus' smile was still strangely calm. "Darkness game level 11-Game of Gods...begin!"_

_Rikuo- 8000_

_Valeus- 8000_

Valeus drew his five cards. "Allow me to begin this duel. I'll crush you with my RPG deck."

"RPG deck?" Rikuo frowned at the sounds of that. ("He's been preparing for this battle...even his Soul Deck is meant for this kind of battle.")

Valeus nodded. "Yes, let me show you." He drew a card and added it to his hand. "I'll begin by playing the Devil's Shadow continuous magic card." He placed the card face-up on the table, and an aura of energy surrounded the Sestros figure on his field. "Now watch the screen, my dear wolf."

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Sestros suddenly had a horribly evil idea. "I know what I'll do...I'll call upon some help." His body shimmered strangely, and then he began to split into two pieces.

Ryu roared angrily. ("He's...doubling himself.") Though the dragon demon wanted to attack while he saw the opening, something told him that he needed to wait.

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Valeus smirked as another Sestros figurine appeared on the field. "Get it? Now there are two Sestros with half of the original's life points." (100000) "While that can be a detriment, it's a great advantage too."

Rikuo was starting to understand some of the intricacies of this game. ("Alright, so you can use effects on your players.")

Pulling a card out of his hand, Valeus set it face-down next to his Devil's Shadow card. "I set one card face-down on my field." He placed a card face-down in his monster zone. "And I'll set a monster, just to be safe. So go ahead and take your turn."

Rikuo drew and fanned out his cards. ("Sestros didn't attack because it was first turn. That's good, because it gives me time to prepare.") After looking his hand over, he frowned. ("Now, what should I play?")

"Tick tock, tick tock...the clock is running Rikuo. Even the magic of the Game of the Gods is going to be unable to keep them from making independent actions if you force it to expend so much strength." Valeus continued to smirk.

Rikuo growled and placed two cards on the table. "I set two cards face-down, and then I'll summon Wolf Demon Soldier (1400/1200) in attack mode." A small figurine of a warrior in samurai armor wielding a pike appeared on his field. Glancing over at the screen, the wolf demon wasn't surprised when he saw the monster actually appear on next to his friends. "Attack Sestros now!"

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Jasmine stared in confusion at the creature that appeared on the field. It looked like one of Rikuo's monsters. ("I must be imagining it...")

Howling, the Wolf Demon Soldier barreled past the three demons and charged the Torture King, pike raised...

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Valeus' lips curled slightly. "Surprise time, Rikuo. Sestros will now decide if he wishes to activate any of his special abilities." A few seconds passed, and then the Fear Infusion ability lit up on the statistics. "I see he'll use one of his free abilities." A die appeared above the figurine's head. "Activate chance roll! If that die lands on a two, three or six then your monster's attack will be stopped!" The die dropped to the center of the table, landing on a one.

Rikuo smirked as the Wolf Demon Soldier slammed right into the real Torture King, dealing him damage. (98600) "That was just a taste of what I am going to do to you, Valeus."

The demon mage laughed calmly. "Don't make me laugh Rikuo; you're only one turn into the game. If you think that you are at some kind of advantage then keep in mind that I am separate from Sestros. His death will not affect me in the slightest."

Rikuo frowned, deciding it best not to gloat. ("The lives of those I care about are on the line, so I'd better not botch this.") "End turn."

Smirking, Valeus drew his card. "You're getting nervous, I can tell. Well don't worry; I intend to sacrifice this turn and the next two so that I can access two of the boxes. End turn."

("What's he up to? Why would he give me three free turns against him?") Rikuo drew. ("He must know something about the contents of each box.")

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Sestros smirked and stretched his wings outwards. "I'm going to do something uncharacteristically nice. Come and get me...it's free shot time."

Ryu, Esmin and Jasmine exchanged glances...then they charged.

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Valeus smirked at the sight of Rikuo's friends charging Sestros. ("Fools...all of them...") "Open face-down card, Hell Net!" A small red net appeared over the three figurines on Rikuo's field. "This will hold all of your friends in place for three turns. So they won't be a problem for me or Sestros."

Rikuo actually felt better knowing that the others couldn't do something that would interfere with his plans. "That's fine, because I'm your opponent." He slapped a card onto the table. "I summon Divine Shield Soldier (100/2200) in defense mode!" A golden figurine of a man holding onto a huge golden shield appeared on his field, and an appropriate creature appeared on the real battlefield.

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Jasmine had been in a lot of strange positions in her life, but pressed into the scaly backside of Ryu was not one she would have expected. "How do we get out of this damned net!?"

Esmin, who was currently having a fun time being pressed into Ryu's side, had a different train of thought. ("Where did this damned net come from!?")

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Rikuo pointed at Valeus' face-down monster. "Attack now, Wolf Demon Soldier!" The soldier launched across the field and slashed the monster apart. It exploded to reveal a little red skinned dragon chick. "That's..."

The demon mage smirked at how easy it was to make Rikuo do exactly what he wanted. "That's correct, my dear fool. It's Demon Dragon Chick (100/300) and that means I can special summon Demon Dragon (2500/2000) from my deck!" There was an explosion of fire on his field as the towering form of the demon dragon appeared. "Anything else you would like to do in helping me?"

Rikuo ended his first turn and drew again. "Don't count me out yet!" Taking his new card, the wolf demon placed it face-down in his magic and trap card zone. "I set one card face-down and place Wolf Demon Soldier into defense mode!" On the screen, the soldier fell to one knee. "End turn number two."

Drawing for his third turn, Rikuo prayed for a powerful card. ("I'm going to need to turn this around soon. If he gets that item, it will most likely be the end of me.")

Meanwhile, Valeus was pondering to himself. ("I wonder if he even has the slightest inkling as to what I am really after. Probably not...") His smile was so relaxed, it was almost infuriating. "Come now Rikuo, hurry up and get to my life points. Sestros won't wait forever."

The wolf demon looked down at the huge figurine angrily. ("Damn it Sestros, why did you have to come back? Can't you stay dead like a normal demon?") Taking the card that had just entered his hand, Rikuo held it up to his face. ("It's....blank?")

The card in front of him had the bordering for a monster card, but there was no picture or text. ("Damn...is there really a blank spot like this in my soul?") "I have to end my turn."

Valeus' smile got just a little wider. "Excellent...now it's time to open the box." The demon mage reached over and selected the middle box. It shuddered and vanished, leaving behind a small cloud of red mist.

The demon mage smirked at the sight of the item. "This should spice our battle up some, don't you think? The item I have recovered is called Remove the Veil...do you know what that means?"

"All that I am sure of at this point is that you are a crazy bastard, Valeus." Rikuo wasn't feeling as confident as he had before. ("I can't beat this guy as easily as I wish...can I?")

The demon mage sighed, while the red mist fell over the field. "Foolish Rikuo, don't you understand what veil I am talking about? It's the veil that separates us from them." He pointed at the screen. "The game's about to take a new twist." The field went up in an explosion of light. "Now...let the gods be revealed!!!"

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Jasmine had finally worked herself free of that damned net, and now she was ready to run her daggers right through Sestros' black heart. Except she wasn't where she was supposed to be...

All around her was darkness, and it was so black that she was instantly sure that this was some kind of darkness game. ("What are we doing here? And on that note...where is here?")

"Jasmine!?" A nearly booming voice yelled behind her.

Clutching her ears to try and block out the nearly deafening sound, the Kitsune looked behind her...and felt her heart nearly explode out of her chest. Towering before her was a giant Rikuo. "............AHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Her scream nearly matched his voice in loudness.

Ryu narrowed his silver eyes at the sight of his supposedly dead friend. ("Well this is certainly...strange.")

Esmin didn't seem too pleased with this prospect. ("This entire field looks suspiciously like a dueling field...and I'm no one's puppet.") "What's the meaning of this, Rikuo?"

The wolf demon frowned and looked across the field at Valeus. "You're brought them here...why?"

Valeus laughed quietly. "Because that is what my item does. It has removed the barrier that separates gods from mortals...us from them..."

"We're...not...gods," Rikuo couldn't believe the audacity of this demon. "You think yourself above the divine powers that be?"

"You just don't understand...do you?" Valeus drew. "Now..." His sentence was cut off as a ball of black flame slammed into his chest, leaving behind a scorch mark.

"How dare you think yourself above me!" roared Sestros. "Abyssal Sun!" He hurled another ball of black fire, but this time it was dissipated before it even got close to the demon mage.

Sestros' shadow form shimmered and faded away, its power returning to its owner. (198600)

Valeus looked at the scorch mark on his chest calmly. "So, I assume this means that my player will not work with me, eh?" His lips curled into a smile so cold that even the Torture King shivered slightly. "Then you will help me in another way!" Taking a card from his hand, he slapped it onto the table. "I play the magic card Soul Sacrifice. Using this I can sacrifice one monster on my field and gain life points equal to its attack power." That smile widened slightly. "Or if my target was a player..."

Sestros roared in rage, leaping upwards to try and attack Valeus. Before he was even halfway there though, his body was gone.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 206600

Rikuo, Jasmine, Ryu and Esmin all couldn't believe what they had just seen. With almost no effort, Valeus had eliminated Sestros.

Licking his lips, the demon mage fanned out his hand. "He went to all that trouble to figure out about the immortality of night, and then he just had to go and try to be independent." His crimson-robed shoulders shrugged slightly. "Oh well, it was his loss in the end. He won't be coming back anymore." Cupping a hand to his ear, the steel-grey eyes of the mage reflected something Rikuo had seen often enough...insanity. "I don't hear any thanks...I thought all of you would be ecstatic to know that Sestros is gone for good."

A few seconds passed in silence...and then Valeus filled the void. "Or perhaps maybe you're all understanding that he was nothing compared to me? Either way...you're all about to suffer!" He pointed at Ryu. "Demon Dragon attack Ryu's life points!" The horrid creature opened its jaws, a black and red ball of fire charging up within them.

Rikuo grimaced and flipped up one of his face-down cards. "Not so fast Valeus, I have a face-down card to deal with this! Reveal Command Silencer!" A loud screeching noise rent the air. "With this in effect, your monster's attack is negated and I may draw one card!" Snapping another card from his Soul Deck, the wolf demon was starting to understand the true purpose of this game and its rules. ("He's trying to divide my attention by attacking my friends. I have to figure out a way to get them out of harm's way....and fast!")

Valeus took two of the cards in his hand and placed them onto the table. "End turn." His eyes were calm now, missing the flash of insanity that had been there moments before.

Rikuo drew. ("He's mentally unstable...and that's not a good thing for me. It makes his moves unpredictable.") Unfolding his hand, the wolf demon evaluated his options. Against his gaze went past the blank card, and he felt strangely uneasy.

"What's the matter Rikuo? You look nervous...perhaps the stakes for our game are a little too high?" Valeus still continued to smile calmly. "Of course, I would be more than willing to lighten your burden."

Rikuo placed one monster in face-down defense mode. "I'll pass on your kind offer, Valeus."

Throughout most of this Ryu, Jasmine and Esmin had stayed quiet. The name 'Valeus' was like hearing the name of a boogey-man from your childhood...and to see him playing a darkness game against your friend was rather unnerving. What made the situation worse was the fact that Valeus had all three of them in his sights.

Rikuo looked up from his hand and nodded to Valeus. "End turn."

"I'm up...draw!" Placing the card in between his other two, Valeus pointed at Jasmine. "Demon Dragon, blow the little girl away." The dragon opened its jaws to unleash another wave of flame.

Rikuo flipped his face-down card. "Activate Drill Mirror Force! This will negate your monster's attack, destroy it, and then deal you its attack in damage." The ball of fire the dragon released was captured and shot back in the form of a drill of light that instantly destroyed the creature.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 204100

Valeus shrugged helplessly. "End turn."

Rikuo drew. ("This is ridiculous...how am I going to wear down all of his life points?") Taking a card from his hand, Rikuo placed it in the monster zone. "I set one monster face-down on the field. Then I'll switch Wolf Demon Soldier into attack mode!" The pike-man stood up and pointed his weapon at the demon mage's face-down monster. "Attack!" It charged across the field and ran the card through.

Valeus sneered, "Poor foolish Rikuo, you're too easy to fool. You've attacked my Reverse Jar (200/300) which will send double that amount of damage you dealt it to one target on the field other than a player! Bye-bye Jasmine." A line of flame launched through the air and slammed into Jasmine's body, throwing her to the ground.

Jasmine- 5200

Clenching his fist, Rikuo pondered his chances of leaping across the table and strangling Valeus. "What gives you the right..."

"What gives me the right?" Throwing back his head, Valeus laughed calmly. "Stupid fool, don't you understand yet just what this game is?" When he got no response, the demon mage shook his head sadly. "Then I suppose we'll just have to continue without you knowing."

Throwing Jasmine a worried look, Rikuo placed one card onto a magic/trap space. "I'll set this face-down. End turn."

Valeus drew, and his features twisted again into a dark smile. "Get ready, because I'm about to show you something that very few beings get to see." Grasping the card between his fingers, he held it up into the air. "I'm about to show you why they call this 'Game of Gods'!

_To be continued..._


	36. Valeus' purpose and divinity unleashed

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh. Also, this is not meant to offend anyone religiously, so please do not take it that way.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 36: Valeus' purpose; divinity unleashed

_Valeus drew, and his features twisted again into a dark smile. "Get ready, because I'm about to show you something that very few beings get to see." Grasping the card between his fingers, he held it up into the air. "I'm about to show you why they call this 'Game of Gods'!_

Rikuo felt sweat beginning to develop on his brow. ("Gods? What's he mean?")

Taking another card from hand, Valeus slapped the chosen card onto the table. "First I play the magic card Tribute from the Grave, which will allow me to sacrifice monsters in my graveyard to charge my summon! Now I call upon the power of god!" Lightning crashed somewhere in the darkness.

Rikuo was nearly sweating literal bullets now. ("A god...it can't be!")

Holding the card into the air, Valeus roared out, "I sacrifice the three monsters in my graveyard to summon this!" He nearly cracked the table with the force of his play. The card exploded into flames, spraying the entire void with its blazing energy. "This will begin your end!"

The fire gathered together around one point behind Valeus, forming into some kind of huge humanoid being. Letting out one echoing roar, the creature finished its transformation. It now looked like a giant made completely out of fire, with a pair of orange eyes that glared at Rikuo from across the table. It stood at least 40' tall, waiting patiently behind its master.

Rikuo, eyes wide, stared at the creature. "That thing..."

Valeus nodded. "God of Fire-Kossuth. (3000/3500) With its special abilities, you're going to be hard-pressed to defeat it. I'm confident you will find a way though."

The wolf demon wasn't really listening. "Is that thing a...god card?"

"Good, there is some brain in that skull of yours." Valeus glanced back at Kossuth. "The elemental god of fire, which was created by some nameless cult not too far back. Of course, it is a soul card, as I doubt Maximillion Pegasus would print something like this."

Rikuo looked down at his friends, and then up at the monster before him. ("Damn...how am I going to kill that damned thing?")

Valeus smiled and pointed at Jasmine. "Kossuth, kill the wench!" The hell-giant roared and lunged forwards, its fist positioned to pound the Kitsune into the table.

Rikuo looked at his two face-down cards. ("These won't help me!") "Jasmine!"

Throwing her arms up in front of her, Jasmine prepared for the worst...

"That's enough Valeus!" Ryu threw his body in the way of the attack, shuddering as the flaming fist slammed right into him.

Ryu- 5000

"Ryu!" Jasmine, Rikuo and Esmin all yelled at once.

"I'll...be alright." The dragon demon looked damaged, but he also seemed like he would survive.

Valeus frowned. "So, you wish to protect each other? It's too bad that Kossuth's special ability allows me to pay 1000 life points once per turn to allow him to attack again. So if you want to be a martyr, then let me show you how you're supposed to do it!" Throwing back its fist, Kossuth slammed the burning limb into Ryu's body again.

Valeus- 203100

Ryu- 2000

"Stop it Valeus!" Rikuo yelled. "They're not part of our battle! If you consider yourself any kind of true duelist, you'll come after someone who can fight back!"

Ryu crashed into the ground, plumes of smoke coming off of his body. "It's alright...Rikuo. I'll survive this."

Valeus' steel-grey eyes watched Ryu appraisingly. "I must admit that I am impressed with how resilient you are my dear dragon. Not many can take two hits from a god and say they are alright." He looked up at Rikuo and smiled enough to reveal a single fang. "What do you think? Is Kossuth worthy of the name god?"

The wolf demon drew. "Why must you hurt? What is it that makes it so you have to injure innocent people?"

Placing the single card that was his hand aside, the demon mage laid back in his seat. "Sure, I'll give you all a little history lesson." Clearing his throat, Valeus began, "Long ago there were both demons and humans on the planet. They knew of each others existence, though they didn't really bother with the other. And then it began..." With a wave of his hand, the darkness to their right was transformed into an overhead view of the world. "The humans started to take over, polluting everything with their touch. Eventually the demon races became like the humans..." His voice dripped with venom. "And that disgusted me, for I watched the world warp and change over my ten thousand years of imprisonment."

His black hair lifted up slightly on an unseen wind. "And then I got free. I originally created the Purge as a way to gather power, but now I know the truth about its potential. You see I first understood what I had to do when I escaped from my prison into Deondre's body..." His smile, still calm, was tinged with a strange emotion, like a mix of humor and anger. "I have to end the universe and start it over again! Except this time, I will be god!"

"You're nuts," said Rikuo. "And I'm going to put you in your place right now."

Valeus smirked and pointed at Kossuth. "Can you? My Fire God Card is too strong for anything in your possession to defeat me."

"I will find a way." Rikuo wasn't planning on giving up. There had to be a weakness to that card.

Valeus shook his head slowly. "Do you even understand why I want to battle you? It's certainly not because of anything you could possibly offer me challenge wise, that's for sure." Ignoring Rikuo's angered growl he continued. "Did it ever occur to you why you are able to stand against opponents like Yamidra and Sestros, who overpower you incredibly, and still manage to hold your own against them? Don't tell me that you think it is because of your own skill in battle..."

"What are you getting at Valeus?" Rikuo wanted to continue this duel...but something about this interested him.

"As you know, the world is full of many different kinds of power. Well, I obviously need a certain amount of power to even begin destroying the universe, and that power will come from the gods." The demon mage motioned back at Kossuth, who stood silently. "This creature was once nothing but an idea, as were all gods...and then it gained power as people revered it, until it eventually became a true creature. Power is all relative...and gods are full of the purest energy in existence. The Egyptians had strong gods, but so did many other cultures...and that has been my goal for the longest time."

Rikuo understood, yet he couldn't comprehend how that was possible. "You have been collecting gods? What are you babbling about, that's impossible! Gods are beyond you!"

"Gods possess power, but they are nothing unique. Just like in Duel Monsters, each god is simply the same energy warped in a different way. And don't you dare have the audacity to tell me that I cannot gather the power of the gods. Right behind me is my first convert, but certainly not the last...for I possess four other God Cards in my deck!" Kossuth roared into the darkness. "And each one is more powerful than the last. Yet for all the power I have, it will not be enough to defeat the other gods. They would crush my army with ease." His hand pointed at his opponent. "That is where you come in, my dear Rikuo...for you see I actually was giving you the simplified version of how energy is. In the world, there is a type of energy that has the power to crush other gods and divine beings beneath its might."

Rikuo felt a drop of sweat slide down his cheek. "Impossible...it's not true..."

Valeus threw back his robes, "It is true, Rikuo Amero. Now bring out the killer of gods that you possess, before I kill off your friends!"

Ryu looked back at Rikuo weakly. "You...have a God Card?"

The wolf demon shook his head vehemently. "Of course I don't! I'm not anyone special enough to possess a weapon of that magnitude."

"Don't deny it Rikuo, for you have felt it since you were but a boy, haven't you?" Valeus sneered at the sight of his opponent flinching at his words. "It's the killer of gods, and you have it. I want it, so bring it out!"

Growling, Rikuo slammed his fist so hard into the table that the stone cracked. "Shut up and duel!"

Valeus was sure he was correct...Rikuo knew about the God Card. "End turn for now."

Rikuo placed his hand on top of his deck, ignoring his bloody knuckles. "My turn, draw!" His face paled at what cards were in his hand. ("I have nothing to stop him from attacking again with Kossuth...") "I switch Wolf Demon Soldier into defense mode!" The pike-man fell to one knee. "Then I'll set one card face-down on my field. End turn!"

Valeus drew. "You cannot deny me, Rikuo! Bring...it...out!" Looking at his card, his insane smile widened. "Kossuth, attack the wench!" The fire giant roared and launched its fist across the field to punch right through Jasmine.

Ryu tried to stand to throw himself in the way, but he couldn't find the strength to do so. "R...Rikuo!"

The wolf demon's head was hanging out of sight. ("There's nothing I can do...none of my cards will affect a God Card.")

Esmin spat onto the ground. "Screw you, Valeus." He threw himself into the way of the attack, screaming in pain as the fires burned across his chest.

Esmin- 5000

Valeus growled in anger. "Little pest...DIE!" Kossuth's special ability triggered and the god attacked again, slamming its fist right into Esmin.

Esmin- 2000

Valeus- 202100

As the smoke cleared from the fires of Kossuth's attack, it threw back its head and roared in anger. From in front of it, Valeus snickered, "He wants a challenge Rikuo. Can't you be a dear and give him what he wants? After all, it's been so long since he has been outside of his card, that I'm sure he would just want some company."

"No...I will not..." Rikuo was about to draw, but Valeus held up the card he had drawn.

"Hold it Rikuo, I play the magic card Divine Hammer. Now one Divine attribute monster on my field may attack immediately. Take a wild guess which divine monster it will be." Kossuth roared and cocked back its fist, getting ready to crush one of Rikuo's three friends. "Now...which one of them dies?" His finger came to rest pointing at Jasmine. "That one...kill her." Kossuth roared and threw its fist across the field, ready to completely annihilate the Kitsune in one strike.

"NOOO!!!" Rikuo slammed his claw towards Jasmine, but it was stopped midway by a field of energy. "JASMINE!!!"

The fist continued to rocket towards her, and all she could do was stand there and prepare to die...

"Jasmine!" Esmin already knew what had to be done. ("It was a short time being alive, but sweet enough....") Using what little energy was left in his body, the white Kitsune hurled himself into the way of Kossuth's attack. There was pain, but not as much as he would have thought.

Esmin- 0

"BROTHER!" Jasmine fell to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Ryu glared up at Rikuo. "If you have it, then use it now!"

Valeus snickered at the pile of ash where Esmin had been. "Fool...doesn't he realize that one cannot meddle in the affairs of gods without feeling divine punishment?" The demon mage smirked at Rikuo. "Come now, why don't you bring out your god so he can play?"

Rikuo, his eyes squeezed shut, drew his card.

Valeus threw back his head, wild laughter echoing across the void. "Well Rikuo, are you going to bring it out, or not!?"

Now Ryu's eyes were pleading. "Why won't you play it? I don't understand what the problem is!!! Jasmine is in danger, Rikuo!"

The wolf demon was quivering, every part of his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Or perhaps you just don't love her, after all?" Valeus threw in. "Perhaps she was nothing but a fling for you...eh Rikuo?"

Rikuo shook harder and harder, his eyes squeezed as tightly shut as they could be.

Kossuth roared once more, wanting a challenge...

"Rikuo please!" Yelled Ryu...

"Or then again..." Valeus licked his lips sickly, "Maybe she was just meant to be a sex toy you never got around to..."

Rikuo shook even harder, and his hair fluttered around his head on invisible air streams...

"Brother...I'm sorry I hated you..." Jasmine whispered out, oblivious to everything going on around them.

That was the breaking point...

The dimension shook as Rikuo's fists crashed down into his side of the table, shattering the stone. His eyes snapped open to reveal crimson irises. "ENOUGH!!!!" That single sound stopped everyone, even Valeus, in their tracks. "You wanted to see my god Valeus? To tell you the truth, I feared it..." Rikuo's voice sounded beyond angry or enraged...it sounded like he had reached his limit... "But my fear of it pales in comparison..." His raven-black hair flapped around him, the dimension shaking like there was an earthquake going on, "...to my HATE OF YOU!!!" Rikuo grabbed the monster card from his hand that had originally been blank. "So you wish to see my monster!? You wish to see my GOD!?"

Valeus nodded calmly. "Yes I do."

Rikuo, his face locked into a position that could kill lesser men on the spot, raised the card into the air. All around them, the dimension trembled as huge amounts of energy were being pulled together to create something. "Then it looks like you get your wish!!!" His two face-down monsters and his Wolf Demon Soldier faded off the field.

It began to form, creating huge claws capable of slashing through nearly anything. It continued to form itself, taking on a shape distinctly canine. The darkness formed an orb around the creature, blocking it off from view.

("This is it...the monster that will bring about the destruction of reality!") Valeus' face was locked into permanent excitement, his steel-grey eyes not even phased by the sudden windstorm that had picked up around them.

The darkness sphere disappeared to reveal a huge black wolf-like monster. It stood at least 80' from paw to shoulder. Throwing back its head, the monster howled into the darkness realm, shaking the dimensional barrier with its anger. Rikuo didn't even need to look at the card to know the creature's name. "Valeus...I present to you the monster that has the power to slay gods. Here he is, and you will soon suffer under his wrath...Fenrir-Destroyer of Gods!" (4000/4000)

_To be continued..._


	37. Fenrir Destroyer of Gods

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh. And to anyone out there who is a Shinto, Zoroastrian or

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc  
Chapter 37: Fenrir-Destroyer of Gods

_The dimension shook as Rikuo's fists crashed down into his side of the table, shattering the stone. His eyes snapped open to reveal crimson irises. "ENOUGH!!!!" That single sound stopped everyone, even Valeus, in their tracks. "You wanted to see my god Valeus. To tell you the truth, I feared it..." Rikuo's voice sounded beyond angry or enraged...it sounded like he had reached his limit... "But my fear of it pales in comparison..." His raven-black hair flapped around him, the dimension shaking like there was an earthquake going on, "...to my HATE OF YOU!!!" Rikuo grabbed the monster card from his hand that had originally been blank. "So you wish to see my monster!? You wish to see my GOD!?"_

_Valeus nodded calmly. "Yes I do."_

_Rikuo, his face locked into a position that could kill lesser men on the spot, raised the card into the air. All around them, the dimension trembled as huge amounts of energy were being pulled together to create something. "Then it looks like you get your wish!!!" His two face-down monsters and his Wolf Demon Soldier faded off the field._

_It began to form, creating huge claws capable of slashing through nearly anything. It continued to form itself, taking on a shape distinctly canine. The darkness formed an orb around the creature, blocking it off from view._

_("This is it...the monster that will bring about the destruction of reality!") Valeus' face was locked into permanent excitement, his steel-grey eyes not even phased by the sudden windstorm that had picked up around them. _

_The darkness sphere disappeared to reveal a huge black wolf-like monster. It stood at least 80' from paw to shoulder. Throwing back its head, the monster howled into the darkness realm, shaking the dimensional barrier with its anger. Rikuo didn't even need to look at the card to know the creature's name. "Valeus...I present to you the monster that has the power to slay gods. Here he is, and you will soon suffer under his wrath...Fenrir-Destroyer of Gods!" (4000/4000)_

Valeus looked up at the huge monster and felt true happiness. ("It's you...the monster that will slay all other gods. Now...all I have to do is defeat you and I will have the power necessary to rule reality.") "Are you ready for the battle of the gods, Rikuo?"

The wolf demon, his eyes still glowing crimson, actually smiled slightly through his fury. "What gods? There's just me and Fenrir. You're all alone."

Valeus looked back at his Kossuth. "Fool, don't you see my god?"

Rikuo pointed at Kossuth. "That's not a god. It's the appetizer to the main course. When Fenrir is summoned to the field, his first special ability activates. He will remove all Divine Beast and Divine attribute monsters in play from the game. That's not all though, because he will also absorb their attack points! Fenrir...Howl of God Crusher!" Opening its jaws, the god wolf unleashed a wave of energy that launched across the field and blew Kossuth apart. Fenrir's rather non-descript body shuddered and became limed with black-blue flames. (7000/7500)

Valeus grimaced. :"Such a power..."

Rikuo wasn't feeling like listening though. "Fenrir, direct attack! Black Inferno's Roar!" Opening its jaws, the charged up wolf god released of a wave of blue-black flame that swallowed up Valeus.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 195100

As the fire died down, Valeus' laughter echoed across the dimension around them. "Such incredible power....Fenrir...you will be mine!" The demon mage's laughter broke down into a mad cackling.

Rikuo no longer sat in his chair. His eyes continued to glow crimson. "Valeus...I know why you arranged this little game...you wanted Fenrir. Well now he is here, so end the other rules and let's bring this to a normal duel!"

Valeus, who was also standing now, slid deep into thought. A full minute passed and then he nodded. "Very well, it will be a normal duel. I think that seems most appropriate." With a snap of his fingers, the two of them were standing in the abyss alone, with a duel disk strapped to each player's arm and the dueling field the same. "Is this more to your liking? No little wench to cloud your mind and no Jourgen to advise you on what to do."

Rikuo fanned out his hand. "This is perfect. Now I end my turn with one card face-down." The card appeared on the field next to his other three. "I promise you that now I'll fight to the end."

Valeus drew. "I would expect nothing less from one who could keep the Destroyer of Gods inside his body for so long. But first, let's replenish our hands with this!" Taking the card he had drawn, Valeus slid it into his duel disk. "Card of Sanctity will make us both draw cards until we have six in our hand." He pulled five cards off of his deck and added them to his hand.

Rikuo drew two cards. "You're in dire straits, Valeus. I suggest you bring out a monster that can withstand the power of Fenrir. If you don't then you will die."

Looking over at Rikuo's field, Valeus knew that he was in, as Rikuo had put it, in dire straits. ("He has all of the advantages...but that will change as soon as I draw one of my four remaining God Cards.") Taking a card from his hand, the demon mage placed it onto his disk. "I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn."

Fenrir howled in rage, the dimension around them shaking again. Rikuo nodded in agreement. "Yes, this fool is tampering with forces beyond his control. Let's show him, shall we?" He drew and slid his Divine Soldier into the graveyard. "I sacrifice my monster to summon Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000) in attack mode." The wolf demon samurai appeared on the field. It looked up at Fenrir, and then took a couple of huge steps away from the god monster.

Valeus narrowed his eyes slightly. ("Hmmm....well here he goes.")

Rikuo pointed at the face-down monster. "Wolf Demon Lord, attack his face-down monster with Howling Sword!" The demon samurai slammed its sword into the ground and created a wave of phantom energy that was intent on obliterating the face-down monster card.

"Your God Card may be immune to traps, but your demon certainly isn't! Reveal face-down card, Painful Wound!" The wave of phantom flame stopped in mid-movement and reversed directions, heading towards Fenrir. "This will send one creature's attack at another creature on the field, and then it will make your Wolf Demon Lord become attached to your God Card. Fenrir will have 2400 less attack points as long as Wolf Demon Lord remains in play!" Valeus knew it was a small bonus, but against the Destroyer of Gods every little bonus was something.

Rikuo motioned to his Wolf Demon Lord. "The special ability of Fenrir activates now. Whenever he becomes the target of a trap effect, I may sacrifice a monster on my field to negate that effect. Unlike other God Cards, Fenrir isn't quite as powerful in the immunities department. So I'll sacrifice Wolf Demon Lord to negate the effect."

The Wolf Demon Lord stared at its master disbelievingly. Rikuo glared at it and the samurai sheathed his sword, giving one bow. Then it exploded into dust and the wave of phantom flame that threatened to drain Fenrir of attack points was stopped.

Rikuo brought his attention back to the duel. "Fenrir, attack the face-down monster with Black Inferno's Roar!" Opening its jaws, the wolf god unleashed a wave of flame that utterly destroyed the face-down creature.

Valeus held up the monster card. "It was a Pious Fool. (100/1000) This monster's special ability allows me to draw cards off the top of my deck until I reach a monster card that either is a divine-beast type or a divine attribute creature." He continued to draw cards off the top of his until he hit the fourth card down. "Ah, excellent. This is the card I will need." Sliding the card into his hand, Valeus shuffled his deck and slid it back into his duel disk. "And now it's my turn." He drew. "And now it is time to summon my next god."

Rikuo waited patiently. There was no need to remind Valeus that he had no monsters on the field at the moment to sacrifice. ("His deck seems to be made for this battle.")

Taking a card at the far end of his hand, Valeus slid it into his disk. "Activate the magic card Hand Tribute. This will allow me to tribute monster cards from my hand for one normal summon." Taking three cards, he discarded them to the graveyard. "And now that they are in the graveyard, I may normal summon the next God Card to the field!" He slapped the card down onto his disk top and the dimension shuddered as more energy was pulled in to create the creature.

It looked like a giant blue humanoid with clock symbols all over its body. "Zurvan-God of Time (1500/5000) in defense mode!" Valeus slid the remaining two cards in his hand into his disk. "Then I set two cards face-down on my field. End turn."

("His creature only has half the attack points of Fenrir...so its abilities must be capable of protecting it.") "It's my turn...draw!" He drew...

Valeus motioned to his face-down card. "Reveal Power Balance! This card can only be activated when I have no cards in my hand. When it is activated, you discard half of your hand, rounded up, while draw a number of cards equal to half you current hand, rounded down. So you'll be discarding four cards and I will be drawing three." Smirking, the demon mage drew his thee cards. One glance at them and his smirk widened. ("They're here...two more of them.")

Rikuo didn't care how many cards he had to discard. ("All I need is Fenrir and my magic cards to win this.") "I play the continuous magic card Spell Sanctuary, which allows us both to select one magic card in our deck and add it to our hand. We can also play magic cards during our opponent's turn." His deck whined and spat out a card.

Valeus manually took out his deck and added the card of his choice to his hand. "So, this will be a battle between gods...Zurvan versus the Destroyer."

Rikuo rolled his eyes. "Idiot, your god won't be a threat to Fenrir. Black Inferno's Roar!" Opening its jaws, Fenrir unleashed another wave of blue-black flame that launched across the field towards Valeus' god monster.

"Reveal Might of Gods! This will only activate if I have a divine beast monster in play. It will negate your attack and we will both draw two cards!" The wave of fire launched upwards and out of sight.

Rikuo drew his two cards and nodded. "End turn."

Valeus drew three cards, two for his effect and one for his turn. "Now then, it's time to activate the effect of Zurvan. Time Warp! This will let me draw two extra cards each turn!" He drew two more cards off of his deck. "And now I will crush you beneath the might of my next God Card."

Rikuo didn't look worried though. "Come and face Fenrir, he is hungry for another snack." His crimson eyes continued to burn in the darkness, showing that he was as much Fenrir as he was Rikuo now.

"Very well, fool!" Valeus slid three more cards into his graveyard and one card into his duel disk. "Activate another Hand Tribute!" The dimension shook as he picked one of the two God Cards that sat in his hand. "Now, feel the wrath of my next god! Awaken Amateratsu of the Sun!" (3500/2000) An explosion of sunlight flooded the darkness as a towering red-skinned woman in flowing robes appeared on the field. "She will bring the sun, and you will be burned to a crisp by her fire." The goddess bowed her head to Rikuo, who spat in disgust upon the ground.

"Fenrir will crush them all, you fool." The wolf god howled from behind its 'master'. "His power is meant to kill your weakling deities."

"We shall see..." Valeus motioned to Amateratsu. "Now I will increase my god's power with its special ability. You see, for every turn that passes on the field my creature will gain 500 attack points!"

"So what? Fenrir will crush her next turn." Rikuo looked a strange mix of calm and angry...as if his general's countenance had mixed with Fenrir's divine anger. "So, what will you do?"

Valeus motioned to the blue-skinned titan on his field. "Fool! I activate the next special ability of Zurvan, which will speed up the turn count by any number of turns equal the amount of 500 life point increments I give. So I'll sacrifice 10000 life points to speed up the turn count on the field by twenty!" Zurvan's body shimmered and the slow-moving darkness around them sped up, now looking like a whirlpool. "This will raise Amateratsu's power by 10000 points!" The sun goddess was now surrounded by a small supernova of energy. (13500/2000)

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 185100

The demon mage bathed in the radiance of his god monster. "Such might...even Fenrir cannot stand against such power. Now die! Divine Light of Annihilation!" Amateratsu charged up a huge ball of fire and unleashed it at Rikuo and Fenrir.

Rikuo's laughter stopped Valeus from getting his hopes up though. "You think Fenrir is that easy to defeat? Reveal face-down magic card, Mystic Buffer! By paying life point totals in increments of 1000, I may reduce the attack strength of your creature by that amount!"

Valeus rolled his eyes. "Fool, would you pay so many life points just to protect Fenrir?"

"Who said I was paying any life points at all!? Reveal face-down continuous magic card, Spell Economics!" A bright green light fell over the field. "Now I don't have to pay life points for magic card effects, meaning that my Mystic Buffer just became the perfect defense." A green wall of light appeared and blocked the fireball of energy unleashed by Amateratsu. "Anything else?"

Valeus slid two cards from his hand into his duel disk. "Yes, I'll set two cards face-down. End turn."

"That means that it is my turn...draw!" Rikuo held the drawn card up to his face. Calmly, he placed it onto his duel disk. "One monster in defense mode and two cards face-down on my field. Fenrir, attack Zurvan now! Black Inferno's Roar!" Opening its jaws, the wolf god released another wave of black flame that launched across the field towards the blue-skinned titan.

"Reveal face-down magic card Dimension Hole!" A black vortex appeared under Zurvan and the time god vanished. Fenrir's attack launched right over the position where the creature had been before, catapulting into the night. "This teleports my monster off the field until my next standby phase. However, because of the effect of God Cards, my monster will be back at the end of the turn."

Rikuo frowned and spat upon the ground again. "Stop running from me, coward. End turn." Zurvan reappeared on the field.

Valeus drew three cards as part of the effect of Zurvan. "Now then, what should I play to crush you?" Amateratsu's body glowed even brighter as the turn count increased and her power grew. (14000/2000)

Rikuo felt more of his mind slipping away to Fenrir. ("He...will consume me at this rate...") The wolf demon knew that he couldn't risk getting rid of Fenrir though, not at this point in time.

"Ah, this will do nicely." Valeus slid a card into his duel disk. "Get ready Rikuo, for now I will summon my fourth god against you. First, I set one card face-down on my field! Then I reveal another of my face-down cards! Go Arrival from the Dark!" The demon mage slid his hand into the graveyard. "This will allow me to discard my entire hand to special summon a creature from my graveyard to field for one turn. At the end of that turn, I must place all monsters on my field into my hand!" His field shook as a huge stone wheel rose up out of the ground. "Awaken, Exkestus-God of Mirrors in defense mode!" (0/0) The wheel shattered and a huge ball of prismatic light appeared on his field.

Rikuo had to admit that he was impressed. His opponent had managed to summon three God Cards to the field all at once. ("However, none of them compare to Fenrir.")

Valeus threw back his head and laughed insanely. "It's only a matter of time now! Soon the ultimate creature of my deck will arrive on the scene, and then you will be mine, Fenrir!"

Rikuo and Fenrir both growled angrily. "Just try it, Valeus."

The demon mage threw back his robes. "Don't worry...even the Destroyer of Gods cannot stand against my final God Card. And the very second I draw it, you...will...be...finished!" His laughter echoed across the void, and in a way, across the entire universe.

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes:

To a neo Okami named Wolfy: I picked Fenrir because yes, he is a big wolf, and two, because he does destroy other gods. Seemed like a match made in heaven.

To Falcon Demon General: ..............................Alros needs a good dose of 'shaddup!'

To Boaty XS: I didn't 'come up' with that name. Fenrir is a Norse God that plays a big part in the end of the world. Amateratsu is the goddess of the sun in Shinto religion, and Zurvan is the father/mother (never quite understood that) of Ahura Mazda, the one true god of Zoroastrianism. As for Exkestus? I made him up.


	38. Fenrir's powers revealed

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 38: Fenrir's powers revealed

"_Ah, this will do nicely." Valeus slid a card into his duel disk. "Get ready Rikuo, for now I will summon my fourth god against you. First, I set one card face-down on my field! Then I reveal another of my face-down cards! Go Arrival from the Dark!" The demon mage slid his hand into the graveyard. "This will allow me to discard my entire hand to special summon a creature from my graveyard to field for one turn. At the end of that turn, I must place all monsters on my field into my hand!" His field shook as a huge stone wheel rose up out of the ground. "Awaken, Exkestus-God of Mirrors in defense mode!" (0/0) The wheel shattered and a huge ball of prismatic light appeared on his field._

_Rikuo had to admit that he was impressed. His opponent had managed to summon three God Cards to the field all at once. ("However, none of them compare to Fenrir.")_

_Valeus threw back his head and laughed insanely. "It's only a matter of time now! Soon the ultimate creature of my deck will arrive on the scene, and then you will be mine, Fenrir!"_

_Rikuo and Fenrir both growled angrily. "Just try it, Valeus."_

_The demon mage threw back his robes. "Don't worry...even the Destroyer of Gods cannot stand against my final God Card. And the very second I draw it, you...will...be...finished!" His laughter echoed across the void, and in a way, across the entire universe._

Valeus pointed at Fenrir. "Amateratsu, attack the Destroyer now!" The goddess charged up a ball of flames within her hand and threw it across the field towards the wolf god.

Rikuo motioned to one of his face-down cards. "Face-down card activate! Negate Attack!" A swirling vortex appeared and absorbed the attack of Amateratsu. "This will negate your attack and end your battle phase. You just wasted your magic card."

Valeus smiled and shook his head. "Don't be so sure. Activate Major Riot!" One of the demon mage's face-down cards flipped up. "When monsters are sent back to their owner's hands, then all creatures on the field return to the hands of their owners. Then the owners may special summon a number of creatures from their hand equal to the number of creatures that they lost." His three God Cards vanished off the field, only to reappear. "Fenrir is unaffected, as long as you sacrifice a monster."

Rikuo motioned to his face-down monster card, which exploded. "That I will." He drew. "And now the turn is mine." He slid a card into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Heavy Storm, destroying all magic and trap cards on the field!"

Valeus motioned to one of his face-down cards. "You think it's that easy to set me up? Reveal face-down trap card Weather the Storm!"

Rikuo snickered and flipped one of his face-down cards. "Reveal Remove Trap to counter your card!" A huge storm blew across the field and destroyed all set cards, leaving Rikuo and Valeus with just their gods on the field. "And now you are all mine...Valeus." The wolf demon's eyes continued to shine bright crimson, his mind slowly being consumed by Fenrir.

Looking at his three God Cards, Valeus snickered. "Amateratsu is stronger than Fenrir, Zurvan isn't though. Exkestus allows me to decide what creature you will attack though, so you're out of luck."

Rikuo threw back his head, harsh laughter roaring out of his throat. "I think...that now is the time to show you the true power of Fenrir." Taking two cards from his hand, Rikuo slid them into his graveyard slot. "Activate special ability number two of Fenrir! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy one divine-beast monster on the field!" Fenrir unleashed a wave of rolling black fire that consumed Amateratsu. "This will give my creature the destroyed monster's attack power as well." The already huge wolf grew larger, its crimson eyes turning orange-red and the black flames around its body exploding to life. (21000/9500)

Valeus shrugged it off. "So what, it doesn't matter how much attack points my creature has."

Rikuo held up the single card in his hand. "Can you count? I discarded two cards from my hand." He pointed at Exkestus. "Now your pretty ball of lights is next on the menu!" Fenrir released another howl of energy, this one shattering the Mirror God Card.

Valeus paled at the loss of his defense God Card. "Oh no..."

Rikuo pointed at Zurvan. "Black Inferno's Roar!" Fenrir sprayed out another tidal wave of black flames, instantly consuming the final god monster. "And for the finale, I set one monster card face-down. So Valeus," the wolf demon licked his lips, as did Fenrir, "What's next on the menu? Is it you?"

The demon mage drew. "I end my turn." He tried to ignore the fact that Fenrir was still licking its lips at him.

Rikuo drew. "I reveal my face-down monster card Archfiend Soldier (1900/1500) in attack mode!" A purple horned fiend appeared on his field. "Fenrir and Archfiend Soldier, direct attack!" The Archfiend Soldier flew across the field and slammed its fist into the side of Valeus' face. Fenrir followed up with another tidal wave of black flame.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 162200

Rikuo smirked at sight of Valeus bracing himself against the hellish fire of Fenrir. "For all your bluster about your gods, I don't see where their true power comes into play. Fenrir has slain all of them, and now your life points are open game for me. End turn."

Valeus drew. ("I must draw my ultimate God Card, or else Fenrir will tear right through my life points!") "End turn."

"You're making this too easy, Valeus." Rikuo drew. "Direct attack!" Both of his monsters blasted the demon mage once more.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 139300

"End turn."

Valeus drew again, sweat beading on his brow. ("Where are you!?") "End...turn!"

Rikuo drew. "So, is this how you are going to meet you end, Valeus? What happened to you rewriting the universe? Is that suddenly gone now that Fenrir has made his appearance in this duel?" The wolf demon licked his lips again, and the red glow of his eyes brightened. His mind was slipping farther and farther away. "Now...feel divine wrath!"

Valeus braced himself as he was blasted once again.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 116400

The avatar of Fenrir snickered. "End turn...my little morsel."

Valeus snapped another card off of his deck. ("This...is impossible! Where are you, my creature!?") "End turn."

Rikuo was gone, having been replaced by Fenrir. "I draw," the avatar said lustily. Fenrir was savoring having such a delicious soul in front of him...it was nearly intoxicating. "I summon another Archfiend Soldier in attack mode." Another of the horned demons appeared on the field. "And now I will burn away more of you!" The wolf god's real body sprayed Valeus once more with black-blue flames, and then the attack was followed up by the Archfiend Soldiers.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 91600

The true beginnings of fear were developing in Valeus' heart now. ("This bastard is mocking me...and there's nothing I can do about it!!!") He drew. "End turn."

Fenrir rumbled out laughter, and his avatar drew with a cold smile on its face. "You're looking pale...perhaps you are finally understanding that you are no god? All you are is a foolish mortal who is pushing his limits...limits that were never meant to be pushed. Now suffer!" Fenrir and the two Archfiend Soldiers attacked again.

Rikuo- 8000

Valeus- 66800

Valeus drew.....and smiled. "Fenrir...are you so certain that you are as powerful as you think?"

The wolf god's avatar narrowed its eyes. "What are you implying? I can crush the very creatures that humans and demons worship beneath my heel, which means that I am powerful indeed."

"Perhaps so..." The demon mage slid a card into his duel disk. "Well then, allow me to show you the true power that I have gained. Activate Hand Tribute, sacrificing three of the monster cards in my hand to normal summon my ultimate god!" The dimension shook steadily, cracks appearing in the blackness. "Of course, I think we should take this game somewhere more appropriate, don't you!?" His laughter echoed across the sudden vortex of wind that exploded around them as the realm of darkness placed them somewhere more appropriate for their battle....

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Everyone had returned to the plane to wait for Rikuo, now that they were sure he was alive.

"Are you sure he's going to come back?" asked Deondre, who had been staring out the window for the last hour.

"He will return, do not worry about it." Ryu stated, though honestly he didn't feel it in his heart. ("That god of his...it was...incredible.") Even Bahamut seemed to pale in comparison to it.

The earth shook angrily, like someone had woken it up from a good slumber. Everyone on board the plane was thrown to the ground in a heap.

From the bottom of the pile CJ muttered, "What the hell is it now!?"

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Rikuo felt the wind of the mountain top blow his hair back...yet what he couldn't understand was where he had gone. ("Did Fenrir truly consume me?") He looked up at the giant wolf god, which stood silent.

Valeus slapped his monster onto the disk. "I summon the creature with the power to destroy the Destroyer! Now it all ends for you, Rikuo Amero!" Lightning rained down around him, each bolt missing him by just a few inches. "Awaken...my almighty God Card....Apocalypse Dragon!!!"

"WHAT!?" Rikuo's eyes widened at the mention of that name. "It can't be! That was..."

"...Yamidra's card. Well now I have it. Don't worry; it can't immediately end the game, like the original." Valeus' lips twisted sickly, "However, it will bring about the end of the game anyway. Apocalypse Dragon, come forth!"

The sky exploded open, revealing a single yellow eye that was nearly bigger than the mountain itself. (Infinite/Infinite)

His crimson robes fluttering around him, Valeus looked out at the ocean, where huge hurricanes could be seen in the distance. The sky was dark now, even though it was mid-day, and thunder crashed in the background. "Rikuo...what I just did is exactly what Yamidra wanted to accomplish. We just skipped judgment day...and went to the end of the world!!!"

Eyes wide, Rikuo couldn't take his gaze off the single yellow eye that seemed to burn into his very soul. ("He could have caused the end of the world at any time...") His resolve hardened at one thought. ("It is a god...and therefore, Fenrir will consume it. The moment it is my turn, I'll discard a card and Fenrir will destroy the Apocalypse Dragon!")

_("No, you won't get the chance to.")_ Valeus' thoughts rang in his head. _("I could read your thoughts since the beginning of our battle, and that means that you will be unable to hide any secrets from me. As for the Apocalypse Dragon? Watch this...")_

"Apocalypse Dragon, unleash your fury!" A single beam of light exploded out from the pupil of the mountainous eye, instantly blowing Fenrir apart. "Though my creature cannot attack monster cards on the field, it can destroy one per turn. It may only attack your life points directly, so as long as you have monsters on your field then you are safe." Valeus motioned up at his monster that was so big even the sky trembled in fear because of its presence. "Unfortunately, as long as Apocalypse Dragon is on the field, you may not summon more than one monster per turn, so don't think to try and play some tokens for chump defense. End turn."

Rikuo barely realized that he had drawn his card. ("This creature of his...it cannot be defeated by anything, can it?")

_("No, it cannot...")_ Valeus threw a glance up at the eye of the Apocalypse Dragon. _("Do you see what you must try to destroy? Then again, even if you do destroy it, the damage has already been done. The Apocalypse Dragon has already started the end of Earth...though if you wish to save the rest of the universe, then you must defeat my ultimate God Card.")_

("Earth...is doomed already?") Rikuo fell to his knees, eyes staring at the ground. ("I couldn't even do anything about it. He just...made it happen.")

Valeus nodded imperceptibly. _("Do you fully understand now my power? I can bring about the end of the world with ease, and the only reason I didn't before this was because I had plans involving you and Fenrir. But now that it has come out, I can collect it off your corpse after this duel is over.")_ He chuckled and motioned around him. "Do you fully understand that this entire planet is going to be destroyed, no matter the outcome of our duel? So why fight it, I ask you? What purpose does opposing me provide?"

Like a sun, the Apocalypse Dragon's eye held overhead, a thick cloud cover concealing the rest of the dragon's body. Valeus pointed up it, a confident smile on its face. "Earth will soon be dead, no matter what you do to Apocalypse Dragon. Rikuo, this is the end of it all...and yet here you stand, fighting me like a truly hopeless fool." Behind him the sky shifted, now showing pictures of entire cities flooded and lightning slamming down onto the earth. "Very soon the planet will pull itself apart under the strength of the Apocalypse Dragon. There's nothing you can do to stop that, and millions will be dead in but two minutes. After that, it will all go downhill from there." A calm laugh escaped his lips. "It's over Rikuo, give in."

("What...am...I supposed to do?") Rikuo had brought his gaze back up to the eye of the Apocalypse Dragon, which was nearly hypnotizing in its gaze. ("My friends...even if I stop Valeus...")

Still within Rikuo's mind, the demon mage finished for him. _("...they will still be destroyed with this planet.")_

He returned to talking outside of his opponent's mind. "Welcome to the pain that exists in the life of a god, Rikuo. This is what you must watch, for you cannot stop it. They are all going to die. Regardless of what cards you play or what the outcome is, they still die."

_("So give in, and accept the end.")_

Rikuo felt so many emotions in his heart that he wasn't sure what to do. "You're lying...you have to be!"

_("Is that so? Why would I lie about this? With Apocalypse Dragon on my field, the planet is doomed. You know this is exactly why you had to stop Yamidra while she was in her dimension. Her mere presence on this plane of existence would have started the end. And in case you have forgotten, she was the Apocalypse Dragon.")_

"I won't listen...I can't listen!" Rikuo slowly came to his feet.

_("My dear wolf, you've lost. This duel was over before it even began. The very second that Apocalypse Dragon hit the field, the fate of your family and friends was sealed. Now they will all die, and it is all your fault.")_

("It's a trick...it has to be!")

_("All hail the bringer of the end of the world...Valeus and Rikuo Amero...")_ The demon mage threw back his head and laughed, while the planet started to come apart around them.

_To be continued... _


	39. The Final Score

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 39: The Final Score; Apocalypse had come

_("My dear wolf, you've lost. This duel was over before it even began. The very second that Apocalypse Dragon hit the field, the fate of your family and friends was sealed. Now they will all die, and it is all your fault.")_

_("It's a trick...it has to be!")_

_("All hail the bringer of the end of the world...Valeus and Rikuo Amero...") The demon mage threw back his head and laughed, while the planet started to come apart around them._

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Everyone was now outside the plane, and they were all staring up at the sky, where the eye of the Apocalypse Dragon loomed.

"Please tell me that I'm imagining things...is that what I think it is?" Deondre felt a single drop of sweat slide down the side of his head.

"I'm not sure...but if it is..." Siegfried paled at the thought of what that meant.

Ryu was on his knees, eyes staring. "It's...the end. The world...is over..."

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Valeus crossed his arms and smiled slightly at Rikuo. "What's the matter? Why aren't you battling on? Don't you think you could at least try and save the universe?"

Snarling, Rikuo came to his feet. "I...will...not let your mind games affect me, Valeus!" He looked down at his hand. ("There must be something I can do.") He looked at the five cards in his hand and paled. ("None of these are of any use to me! They all require parts of combos that I don't have with me.") Bringing his gaze up to the sky, the wolf demon felt despair at the sight of the monstrous Apocalypse Dragon. "I switch Archfiend Soldiers one and two into defense mode!" The two purple horned demons fell to one knee. (1900/1500)

Taking another card from his hand, Rikuo placed it onto his disk. "And then I set one monster into defense mode! End turn." The face-down card appeared next to his other two.

Valeus, his steel-grey eyes watching Rikuo intently, smirked. "So that's it? No big come-back from the mighty wolf demon?" He drew. "That's too bad, because this duel is over in the next round."

Then Rikuo noticed something important. "You're right it is the end of this duel in the next round. You have one card left in your deck, meaning that shortly you will lose anyways."

"Don't be too sure, my little dog. I activate the special ability of Apocalypse Dragon!" The pupil of the eye widened. "By sacrificing my next draw phase, I may destroy one monster on the field!" Two beams of light shot out of the eye that vaporized the two Archfiend Soldiers. "And thanks to the effect of my Dragon, it also kills a monster normally."

Rikuo felt something else...something sinister. Thinking back on his opponent's words, he understood why. "How is this duel going to be over by the next turn?"

Valeus slid a card into his duel disk. "Thanks to this magic card, known as Divine Smite!" Taking the other card in his hand, the demon mage slid it into his graveyard. From within the pupil of Apocalypse Dragon's eye, a single mote of light appeared. "Next turn, my monster will now be able to attack your life points directly!" He cackled insanely, hurricane force winds blasting across the field. "In other words, next turn is game over!"

Rikuo felt pale...and tired. ("I just want this madness to end...I'm done battling, I left that behind when I died. Why do all of these decisions...these choices... have to be piled on my shoulders!?")

_("Because you're meant to spend what's left of your miserable little life suffering. Since the world is about to end, I suppose you really won't have to be depressed much longer, now will you?")_ From across the field, Valeus crossed his arms across his chest and laughed.

Rikuo wasn't going to give up...there was too much at stake. ("However, what can I do to win? What's left in my soul that has the power to defeat the Apocalypse Dragon? Daniel destroyed it through the use of one of Deondre's cards but in this situation...there's nothing left that can defeat the Dragon.") "Valeus, I cannot allow this to continue. I will find a way to stop you from hurting people. I will!" Rikuo slowly stood up, his eyes tired but defiant. ("Is this is my last battle then I'll make sure it is the best damned battle any person has ever laid eyes on!") "It's my turn and now, here is my final draw!" The wolf demon snapped the top card off of his deck.

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From within the remains of the cave that had housed the theater where Sestros little hell show had gone on, something stirred within the rubble of the shaking complex. Underneath a pile of upturned chairs, wisps of smoke lifted from an unknown source. Suddenly the room was lit up in a blaze of orange and red flames. A single form of flames launched free of the pile of chairs and blazed up the tunnel, screeching towards the entrance.

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Rikuo looked at the card and nodded resolutely. "The magic card Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards!" He snapped the first card off of his deck. He started to reach for the second...

A screech broke through the air and a huge orange-red bird-like form exploded into the sky above the two demons.

Valeus stared in a mix of confusion and fear. "The Phoenix Wings!?"

Rikuo snickered as he remembered something that Ryu had said once. Looking down at Valeus, Rikuo held up his duel disk into the air. "It's hard as hell to make a demon stay dead, you should know that!"

The phoenix found what it was looking for and it slammed into the wolf demon's deck, disappearing in a flash of flames.

Valeus was being pulled back to the time of his first sealing...and that spoke bad for him. "No...not him...anyone but him!"

Rikuo drew, not surprised in the slightest by what card it was. "Let's end this now, shall we!?" Adding the card to his hand, he grabbed the first card he had gained from Pot of Greed. "This just reminded me of something important about how to defeat the Apocalypse Dragon. You don't go after the dragon, you go after the owner!" He held up the card. "I activate Hope of Faith!" His face-down monster exploded and a ring of light lit up the mountainside.

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All eyes were affixed onto the mountain, where the ring of light had appeared.

"Oh now what?" muttered CJ angrily. "What else could go wrong?"

Ryu understood what it was, and he slowly stood. "Nothing else could go wrong...it could only be going right."

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A pair of armored forms lowered onto the field.

The first wore black armor, wielded a sword, and had golden eyes. "I am Yami Knight!" (6000/0)

The second wore white armor, held a shield at its side, and had brown eyes. "I am Hikari Knight!" (0/6000)

Rikuo smiled to the two warriors of light and darkness. "It's good to see the two of you again."

They both nodded back to the wolf demon.

Valeus chuckled calmly, "What are these two pieces of trash going to do? Give Apocalypse Dragon a headache with their incessant chatter?"

Yami Knight looked over at Valeus calmly. "Demon mage of the past, we are not your enemies. You didn't terrorize our existence. We are only here for one reason."

Hikari Knight stepped forward. "We are here to bring about the power that defeated you before. It was a pleasure seeing you, but we're done here. Bye."

The two knights threw Valeus a wink.

Growling, said demon mage roared into the wind around them, "What do you know!? I have never been defeated!!!"

Rikuo grabbed the card that he had drawn after Hope of Faith. "Yami Knight...Hikari Knight...thank you for everything. Now, I have need of your services one last time."

They both looked back at their ally and nodded. "Do it," they said in unison.

Flipping the card around, Rikuo yelled into the gale, "Activate Phoenix Knight's Revival! I sacrifice 4000 life points and my two monsters to pay for its effect!" Both of the knights faded away.

Rikuo- 4000

Valeus- 66800

The ring of light faded and was replaced by a ring of fire on the ground. As it cleared, a knight wearing golden armor with silver and platinum inlays all across the shining surface. At the creature's side was a sword, and it opened its eyes to reveal a pair of crimson irises.

Valeus unintentionally shivered at the sight of the creature. "It's you....the one from before..." His features turned angry. "DAMN YOU, AGAIN YOU RETURN TO ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT ME!?"

Rikuo smiled from behind the new creature. "That's right, the warrior from the past had returned to seal you away once more. I summon Divine Paladin of the Phoenix in attack mode!" (8500/8000) Drawing its sword, the noble demon warrior prepared for battle against its two ancient foes.

Valeus calmed instantly. "You fool; he cannot defeat the Apocalypse Dragon."

"Oh, I think we've already established that your creature is invincible. However, we've also figured out the answer to that. You see, I go after the player who summoned the Apocalypse Dragon." Rikuo slid three of the remaining four cards in his hand into his duel disk. "I set three cards face-down and attack your Apocalypse Dragon with Divine Paladin of the Phoenix!" The warrior drew its sword and snapped the weapon back, divine flames lining the blade. "Phoenix Flame Blast!"

"Suicidal fool...Apocalypse Dragon, counter-attack!" The huge eye released a beam of energy that sailed downwards to engulf the Paladin where he stood.

"Suicidal eh?" Rikuo snickered as the Divine Paladin of the Phoenix snapped its sword up, catching the whole ray on the blade and creating an arc of energy that went back to the eye, slamming right into it. "That's your opinion. This is actually my winning play."

"Whatever you say Rikuo." Valeus looked down at his life point counter, expecting to see Rikuo's life points at zero.

Rikuo- 4000

Valeus- 66800

"What the hell!?" The demon mage had to cover his eyes as the arcs of energy intertwined and became on channel of power that was exchanged between the two creatures. "Why aren't you life points at zero?"

Sliding the last card from his hand into the graveyard, Rikuo smiled calmly. "Because I activated the effect of Divine Paladin of the Phoenix. By discarding one card from my hand, I can negate all damage done to me this turn."

That left a lot of things unexplained in Valeus' mind. "What about the fact that your Paladin is still standing? It doesn't have enough attack or defense points to hold against Apocalypse Dragon!"

Rikuo motioned to all three of his face-down cards, which were now facing up. "That would be thanks to my first card, which is called Warrior Undying! This will prevent one warrior monster on my field from being destroyed in battle this turn!"

"So what? That doesn't mean anything to my dragon. I'll just blow your monster away next turn!" Something was wrong though, because neither arc of energy was fading away. If anything, they were getting brighter.

Rikuo pointed at the next face-up card. "Secondly, I activated the quickplay magic card Endless Blows. As long as I have one monster on the field, that creature may continue to attack as long as you have a monster in play." The arcs were so bright now that they even made the destruction that was happening around the duel seemed small in comparison. "Oh, and Valeus? Take a look at your life points."

The demon mage looked at his life point total, and his confident features turned ghostly pale. "What trickery is this!?"

Rikuo- 4000

Valeus- 40000- 39900- 39800- 39700, etc.

Rikuo pointed at his last face-down card. "That would be thanks to my last card, which is a continuous magic card called Lucky Strike. As long as it is in play, even when I lose in a battle you will at least lose 100 life points minimum. And since I am attacking infinitely..."

Valeus- 34100- 34000- 33900- 33800

"...then you will lose infinite attack points! Face it Valeus..." Rikuo's expression was the very epitome of divine anger. "...this duel is over, and so are you!"

"NO!!! I will not be defeated like this!!!!" The demon mage charged forwards, blackness flowing around his claws as he intended to strike down Rikuo. "DIE!!!"

Something changed about Rikuo then. His eyes hardened slightly and an aura of black energy exploded to life around him.

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Everyone down by the plane was watching the exchange of energy between the Apocalypse Dragon and the Divine Paladin of the Phoenix. And then their attention was drawn to where a thunderclap of power so huge that the whole island shook had occurred.

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Valeus stared down at the hole in his stomach, and the arm that was protruding out of it. "Where...did this come from?"

Rikuo, his form lined with a pulsing black energy, smiled slightly. "Finally, my damned old powers have returned to me."

Valeus- 10000- 9900- 9980- 9970

Growling around the black blood that was filling his mouth, Valeus lifted his claw back to try again...

Valeus- 9000

Rikuo landed an uppercut so strong that both his and his opponent's feet left the ground.

Valeus- 8000

Grunting, Valeus charged again...

Valeus- 7000

Rikuo side-stepped the demon mage's charge and slammed his elbow into the side of Valeus' head, driving him to the ground.

Valeus- 6000

"I...cannot...die!" Leaping up, Valeus charged again.

Valeus- 5000

"You don't need to die," Rikuo said calmly, while catching Valeus' arm and breaking it with a single twist of his wrist.

Valeus- 4000

"But...I will return!!!!" Valeus charged up a ball of black flame within his remaining good hand. "Now come and join me for a stay in hell, Rikuo Amero!"

Valeus- 3000

The wolf demon general stood calmly and waited, watching the ball of black fire appraisingly. ("He's trying to kill us both.")

Valeus- 2000

Cackling through the buckets of blood that was spraying out of his mouth, Valeus cocked back his arm and prepared to hurl the attack. "This one will make Kilomet Sestros proud! Abyssal Sun!" He threw the attack.

Valeus- 1000

Rikuo lifted his palms up and caught the attack between them, sliding back until he almost was plunged over the side of the mountain.

Valeus- 900

"What!?" The demon mage stared in horror as his attack was sent flying back at him.

Valeus- 800

Rikuo, his palms burnt and blackened, met eyes with Valeus. "If there is one thing..."

Valeus- 700

"That you must remember about me....."

Valeus- 600

"It is that you are weak....."

Valeus- 300

Somehow, despite the apocalyptic battle that was being waged just feet away from them and the roaring winds that blew across the mountain-side, silence held between the two of them.

"And I am strong." Rikuo finished as the ball of black flame slammed into Valeus.

Valeus- 0

And then a scream echoed from the top of the mountain that was so hellish and pained that even Rikuo, who had seen the hells of the Torture King, had to flinch away.

With one last explosion of black fire, Valeus was gone forever as his soul was sealed in a place inaccessible by anyone of the earthly realm.

_To be continued..._


	40. The end of it all

Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 40: The end of it all

Rikuo Amero heard his name being yelled, but he honestly didn't feel like waking up. When someone shook him a couple of times, he brushed them away and curled up into a ball. "Just five more minutes," he muttered sleepily. Then the person decided to kick him in the ribs.

That got him up. Leaping into a standing position, he nearly roared in anger. "Stop bugging…" When his eyes fell upon Jasmine, he instantly softened. "Oh…hi there."

"I can see you're a morning person," she dead-panned.

"Excuse me, you two," Ryu injected, "I don't think it would be wise to just sit around, or have you not noticed…" He thumbed over at the huge hurricanes that were swirling all around the ocean in the distance. "The world is ending, so Rikuo, please use your wish?"

The wolf demon looked out at the ocean and then up at the sky. Sure enough, the Apocalypse Dragon was gone, having left with Valeus. "Alright, now I just need to stop the world from ending." He stepped to the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. ("Daniel…forgive me…this must be done.") "By the powers given to the winner of the Game of the Gods, I make my wish! I wish for the Apocalypse to have never begun!"

An explosion of sound shook the entire planet, and then, just like that, it was done. The sky was blue and the damage to the world, deaths caused by the Apocalypse and all, had been undone.

"Well that was anti-climatic," muttered CJ. "No bright lights or holy music. Just a big-ass clap huh?"

Rikuo wasn't listening though. He had tears streaming down his face. ("Daniel…my friend…")

The sound of metal of stone caught everyone's attention.

Rikuo looked over his shoulder to see the Divine Paladin of the Phoenix approaching him. "What the hell do you want? Go back into your card."

The armored monster rolled its eyes and drew its sword, which was now glowing and shifting into a katana shape. Tossing the weapon to Rikuo, the divine monster shimmered and was consumed in a torrent of flames that immediately launched upwards and reformed into a bird-like shape.

Rikuo stared at the changed weapon, his face locked into a state of awe. "The Howling Sword…it's been reformed…"

The Phoenix Wings arched through the air, and did something completely strange. Swerving directions, it slammed right into Jasmine. The Kitsune blinked in surprise and crashed to the ground, her eyes slowly fading into a green shade and her hair turning brown.

Jennie, now in control of her body, sat up. "Jasmine?" When she got no mental answer, the girl nearly panicked at the thought of losing the spirit that had protected her for so long. "She's gone!"

Rikuo growled at the bird-like form of the Phoenix Wings, which were circling the mountaintop. "Come down here so I can tear you up again, you little bastard! No one hurts my woman!"

Ryu stared at his friend like the wolf demon had just lost his mind. "Are you saying that…?" A glare from Rikuo told the dragon demon that now would be a good time to shut up. "Oh…right, don't mind me."

The Phoenix Wings arched through the air and slammed down into the ground away from everyone on the mountain top. There was a huge pillar of fire, which quickly died down.

Daniel popped his neck and stretched. "Finally, I was wondering what was taking you so long Rikuo." He smiled warmly at his other half. "By the way, thanks for saving the world again."

From behind him, Jasmine snickered, "Yeah right, he didn't so much save the world as summon the power that saved the world."

Rikuo, as well as everyone else, stared at the two now living members of their group.

"…………" Rikuo's eyes were so wide most people wouldn't be sure whether he was surprised or had just had a heart attack.

"D…Daniel!? How…when...." Deondre started, but he was cut off when the half wolf-demon held up his hand for silence.

Calmly, Daniel walked right past his friends, and even right past Rikuo.

Jennie stared at his confident approach numbly, her mind still recovering from two things. The first was that Daniel was alive at all, and the second was that now Jasmine had her own body. Finally, the third was that Daniel was now standing right in front of her. "You're…alive…"

Without another word said, he kissed her.

Deondre, CJ, Janeam, and Allon all stared at what should have deemed as an impossible sight.

Rikuo, Siegfried, Amy, Ryu and Jasmine all smiled, though Rikuo and Jasmine weren't so much smiling at the sight of their plans coming together. They were smiling at each other for wholly different reasons.

A good couple of minutes passed before Daniel finally broke away.

Jennie, cheeks red and ears twitching, just stared at his back as he walked over to Rikuo. For the life of her, she was a lot of trouble figuring out what had just happened.

Rikuo and Daniel met gazes, and then as one they smiled slightly.

"I see you saved the world?" Daniel stated it both as a question and a statement.

"It looks that way," Rikuo nodded.

"I guess that makes the score one to two?"

"Not really, the first time didn't count."

Ryu was having a hard time containing his laughter. Siegfried, Deondre, CJ, Amy, Allon, and even Jasmine were all giving disbelieving looks the way of the two wolves. Were they comparing scores over how many times the other saved the world?

Daniel started to turn away, and then as an afterthought spun around and slammed his fist right into the middle of Rikuo's face.

Now everyone had absolutely no idea what was going on.

The wolf demon didn't react, except for the fact that his head snapped back slightly. Then he retaliated…with a hug?

At this point everyone, though still horribly confused, had decided it was best to filter out of sight and leave the two alone. Apparently they had some things to discuss.

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Minutes later Daniel and Rikuo were sitting over the edge of the mountain cliff, looking down at the ground.

"So where do we go from here?" Daniel felt uncertain of what he was supposed to do. Originally it would have been right back to school, and he would have spoken no more of this madness. Last time though, he wouldn't be coming back with someone extra though. ("Jennie…")

Rikuo had his eyes up at the blue sky. "All in all, I think it would be best if we lived apart from each other."

"What?" That was the last thing Daniel had expected to hear. "Come on Rikuo, that doesn't make any sense at all. I mean…." Somehow, Daniel was having trouble finding a reason to argue with his other self. "We…."

Rikuo smiled weakly. "You can't reason for us not to, right? It's not like we aren't going to see each other again. After all, you and I are still part of the same soul and heart."

"But…" Daniel fought to hold back tears, "I'm afraid…without you…"

"Believe it or not Daniel, you're much stronger than you think. It's just that with the events in your life, you have always thought yourself as weak." The wolf demon felt pangs of both guilt and anger in his heart. The guilt was there for having to do this to Daniel, and the anger at himself for knowing that this had to be said. "My light…you and I are so similar, and yet so different…."

Daniel was crying now, because his heart felt like a lead weight in his chest. ("Rikuo…why does it have to be this way? Do you really have to just leave me all alone? I don't understand…") He felt so angry that he wanted to spin around and hit Rikuo again…

"**_Wishing on a dream that seems far-off,"_**

"_**Hoping it will come today,"**_

"_**Into the starlit night,"**_

"_**Foolish Dreamers turn their gaze,"**_

"_**Waiting on a shooting star,"**_

"_**But…What if that star is not to come?"**_

"_**Will their dreams fade to nothing?"**_

"_**When the horizon darkens most,"**_

"_**We all need to believe there is hope,"**_

"_**Is an angel watching closely over me?"**_

"_**Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?"**_

"_**I know my heart should guide me but…"**_

"_**There's a hole within my soul…"**_

"_**What will fill this emptiness inside of me?"**_

"_**Am I to be satisfied without knowing?"**_

"_**I wish, then, for a chance to see…**_

"_**Now all I need…**_

"_**Desperately…"**_

"_**Is my star to come…"**_

Both Daniel and Rikuo heard it, and both of them were crying now. They knew that neither of them could progress as individuals as long as they stayed together, and yet it was almost too painful for the two of them to part.

Surprisingly, Daniel broke the silence first. "Rikuo Amero, you are the part of me that gave me the strength to continue when all else seemed lost." He stood up and clicked his duel disk into place. "And you were the reason that I have been through so much hurt. Yet I can't blame you for it, because none of it was really your fault. You are my darkness, and for that I thank you."

Rikuo smiled slightly and clicked his duel disk into place. "Daniel Pilkington, you were the part of me that was the reasoning behind all of my anger and hatred. I love you and yet I hate you. Since the moment I awakened from your despair, I have watched you through the night, making sure that you were safe. Well now that time is at its end. You are my light, and for that I thank you."

Daniel smiled slyly, "One last battle, for old time's sake?"

Rikuo nodded. "Once more, we shall do battle."

They drew their cards, smiles on both of their faces. "Let's duel!"

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The universe lives on, as well as planet Earth and its inhabitants. People across the planet go about their daily lives, and all is well.

To this, ladies and gentleman, I say 'believe in yourself and you will go far'. It is far harder than believed to overcome despair, but when you do it…it is the most powerful strength you can ever believe in.

So our heroes, the warriors of light and darkness, say their final farewells and return to life as normal. Should the world ever need the Demon Lords again though, then trust me, they will be there. Until that time, I say to you adios.

_The end._

Author's notes: I'd like to thank all of you who have read and supported me while I got to work on my first Yugioh fic ever. I hope that Demon Duelist Legacy has been worthy of your time, and if not, then please accept my humblest apologies for that.

For those of you who feel like it should not end this way, I must remind you that despite all other things, Daniel and Rikuo are duelists most of all. This story began with a duel and it ends with one just starting, to show that the future itself is unclear.

With one last bow from our cast, they say their good-byes to all of you. Demon Duelist Legacy ends here, and that is how it should be.

Just to let you know though, I will be starting up another fic in the Yugioh category very soon. This story will be based about twenty years from the end of the Pharaoh's memory arc, and it will have some new….additions to it that I hope you all like. For this story, I am looking for submissions of characters and their decks.

Though I dislike doing this to people, I am going to need these character descriptions to have some detail on the characters themselves (hair, eye, etc.) and any other distinguishing factors about that person. (Personality, etc.)

As for decks, I'm doing something rather unique for this fic. Deck lists are not needed, though favorite cards would be alright. Also, if you wanted a deck made up of cards from a theme that does not exist in the real card game that is completely alright. So please, send in those submissions, and I will be waiting.

Finally, I'd like to apologize to everyone who has been left in suspense over the ending of DDL for the last two days. The website caught me by surprise with its lock-down for two days, so I couldn't do anything about that. If you'd still like you, I would love to hear your review on Chapter 39 if you didn't get a chance to post it. Thank you in advance.


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